Airtel targets 10 million subscribers in UP, U'khand

Bharti Airtel, the country’s leading mobile operator, aims at adding another three million subscribers in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand by the end of this fiscal to augment its subscriber base to 10 million in the two states.

“At present, we have around seven million subscribers in UP and Uttarakhand and by the end of March 2009, we are hoping to clock a 10-million subscriber base,” Airtel Chief Operating Officer Sunil Colaso said at a conference call here today.

He added that the rural markets will play a major role in achieving this milestone.

“The two states are basically rural markets and collectively have a population of over 200 million. We remain bullish on this large segment,” he added.

Airtel has the second largest subscriber base in UP after Vodafone, and the company claims to be narrowing the gap every successive month.

The company has over 10,000 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) in the two states.

Meanwhile, Airtel today launched a lifetime prepaid plan at a lower price point of Rs 99 only. “With this initiative, we want to make mobile more affordable and provide greater value to the Airtel customers,” Colaso added.