For whom the bell tolls

No new policy but major policy decisions at the highest level are necessary to save the telecom sector

Kumar Mangalam Birla, one of India’s most credible and respected industrial chiefs, is reported to have clearly stated that rather than throw more good money after bad, Vodafone-Idea would shut shop if there is no government relief. This has sent shock waves not only across various sectors in India but also in the international community of investors. How is it that a sector that has been the flag-bearer of privatisation and liberalisation, has been brought so abjectly to its knees?
 
Despite possibly being one of the most highly regulated sectors, Indian telecom — essentially, digital mobile communications — has