For companies in the telecom and aviation sectors, revenue is a top concern now and will remain so for some time
According to India Ratings, the outlook for the sector will continue to remain damp in FY20
Sharma's comments come at a time when the Union government is preparing for the next round of airwave auctions, expected in the latter half of 2019
Though the sector is stabilising after a series of exits and mergers, experts feel incumbents may see another round of decline sooner than later as multi-users become single users
The audits will be carried out to check for any under reporting of revenue by telecom companies, an exercise that the DoT expects will be wrapped up by middle of next year
The global controversy over the security threat posed by Huawei and other Chinese firms has spilled over to India in the form of a battle between service providers and domestic equipment manufacturers
India's largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea has urged the telecom department not to hold spectrum auction till 2020
Addition of towers across rural India will also limit the decline in revenues, according to a report by rating agency CRISIL
Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Vodafone Idea, also expressed concern over Rs 300 bn that is locked up on account of GST payment under 'reverse charge mechanism'
Railway routes between Allahabad to Gorakhpur, Delhi to Mumbai and Jabalpur to Singrauli were covered
The report notes that mobile networks in India are getting faster and faster, consumer habits are changing, and the thirst for video content is now shaping operator strategy
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, at the India Mobile Congress had said that the telecom sector remains highly taxed just like the tobacco industry
Industry's financial metrics have taken a hit since the entry of Reliance Jio in 2016 which set off a brutal tariff war, forcing older players such as Airtel, Vodafone Idea to cut tariffs
FDI would be the key to unleash the full potential of upcoming technologies like M2M, machine learning, artificial intelligence and internet of things, he says
In terms of revenue market share, Vodafone-Idea holds about 34 per cent, with Airtel at 31 per cent and RJio at 22 per cent
The Telecom Commission swings from revenue maximisation to universal coverage in poll season
Government should have the courage to make decisions that benefit companies investing in a struggling sector
There is still enough head room in the domain
The upcoming National Telecom Policy aims to garner an investment of $100 billion in the telecom sector in five years
Jio's reported capital expenditure was Rs 140 billion in Q4, double its Q3 capex of Rs 70 billion