Airtel signs MoU with India Post for Gujarat

Telecom major, Bharti Airtel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with India Post for Gujarat to expedite the process of document collection and verification mandated by department of Telecom (DoT). As a part of the initiative, all Airtel prepaid customers in Gujarat circle can now submit their documents at any one of the 8,971 post offices in the state.

According to Shivan Bhargava, COO, Bharti Airtel – Gujarat Circle, the initiative by DoT aims at streamlining the documentation process.

"The partnership with India Post in this innovative and novel project is aimed at forming a powerful network across Gujarat, supporting DoT's initiative of streamlining the documentation process. The association will enable Airtel customers to submit their form and relevant documents at a convenient near-by location. Bharti Airtel is joining hands with India Post with a view to provide convenience to its customers," said Bhargava.

Talking about the agreement, DK Chauhan, post master general, business development and technology said, "India Post believes that the new economy and modern markets require it to become more autonomous and commercially flexible in order to deliver its core functions and other services efficiently and to high standards. With this tie up with Bharti Airtel we will add value to our committed services. India Post and Bharti Airtel are opening a new chapter in customer convenience.”

Bharti Airtel has also started an ongoing collection drive across Gujarat. The telco's customers have been notified via SMS's to re- submit their documents and are expected to cooperate by visiting a well-located venue. The initiative by Cellular Association of India (COAI) is to create awareness and to address the unauthorised SIM issue.

By end of August 2010, Bharti Airtel had over 188 million customers across its operations.