Three telecom companies - Spanco Telesystems and Solutions, TVS Interconnect Systems (a TVS group firm) and Acme Tele Power - have emerged as the front-runners for state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's (BSNL) Rs 30,000-crore infrastructure contract.
Soma Networks, a US-based provider of mobile Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) products and services, plans to launch compact WiMAX-enabled devices in India within six months.
The decks have been cleared for the appointment of TDSAT member JS Sarma as the new chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). Sarma will succeed former Trai chairman Nripendra Mishra who retired on March 22, 2009.
The investigation arm of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, the country's anti-trust body, has launched a probe against 10 cellular service providers, including state-owned ones, for allegedly charging customers for Short Message Services that are not delivered.
From June onwards, millions of Bollywood buffs may now have to watch the new Hindi films at the 8,000-plus single-screen theatres across the country and not in multiplexes. This is because the talks between Bollywood producers and multiplex owners have broken down over sharp differences in the terms and conditions of the proposed revenue sharing agreements.
After initial hiccups, viewership of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL-2) has picked up pace with the cricket carnival having reached midway.
To expand its services in the five-player private direct-to-home market, Reliance Big TV Ltd, the promoter of Big TV DTH services of the Reliance ADA Group, plans to sell up to 49 per cent to foreign private equity companies and global DTH players.
Contrary to perception that TV viewership of IPL's second season (IPL-2) has been less than the inaugural season in 2008 (IPL1), SET Max got at least 2 million more viewers for the first eight matches (seven were played, one was rained out) of IPL-2 this year, compared with last year.
The company plans to leverage its tie-up with NTT DoComo to offer many value-added services.
With the start of general elections as a source of revenue Bharti Airtel's direct-to-home arm is ready to launch its mobile DTH units for cars.
The latest Media Partners Asia analysis on India says TV advertising will grow only 6.5 per cent in 2009, as against 15.6 per cent in 2008. However, MPA expects TV advertising to rebound to 8.7 per cent growth in 2010. Of the Rs 20,000 crore-plus advertising industry, television advertising alone accounts for 45-47 per cent. Overall, MPA predicts that advertising growth may drop to 5.4 per cent in 2009, after a 20 per cent-plus growth in 2006 and 2007.
The telecom tower-transmission business is going to see a shake-up with cash-rich and independent companies moving in with aggressive plans.
The Mumbai-based company will take on Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and HMSI and will have models in the 100cc, 125cc and 150cc mobike segments, and also in the ungeared low and high-powered scooter segments. Hero Honda has a 60 per cent share of the motorcycle segment, while HMSI commands a 58 per cent of the scooter market. Anand Mahindra said: "Our two-wheeler project is complete; we have already begun marketing the fleet in Bangalore."
The decision to relocate the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament to South Africa has prompted several key advertisers such as Hyundai, Havell's and Reebok, among others, to consider cutting back budgets or pulling out.
The funds are needed to meet losses for the next two years, sources said. The channel, which was launched in April 2008, earns around Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million) a month and incurs an operating monthly cost of Rs 7.25 crore (Rs 72.5 million). As a result, its monthly loss is about Rs 5 crore (Rs 50 million), translating into an annual loss of around Rs 60 crore (Rs 600 million), sources said.
Nripendra Misra's three-year stint as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will be remembered for a host of recommendations and a number of controversies. Controversial issues like the conditional access system, non-CAS pricing kept Misra, who retires as Trai chairman on March 22, 2009, in the news.
Indi Media had bought NewsX in January from INX News, reportedly for Rs 50 crore. INX was promoted by ex-Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea and his wife, Indrani Mukerjea, both of whom quit the company with the sale. Indi Media is said to be owned by a clutch of investors led by Vinay Chhajlani, CEO of Webdunia.com India, and promoter of the Hindi daily, Nai Duniya, and by Jehangir S Pocha, former editor of the weekly, Business World.
Given the ongoing economic turmoil, the DEA has raised concerns that the government may not be able to get the right value for its stake. TCIL has been seeking an exit route for over two years. It first wanted to get the company listed so that it could exit. However, the proposal was turned down by Bharti Airtel, which has 70 per cent stake.
With this deal, Jaipuria's RJ Corp will own over 10 bottling plants, controlling 25 per cent of PepsiCo's bottling capacity in the country (earlier he was PepsiCo's largest bottler together with his family). Confirming the development, Jaipuria said the deal would be complete in a day or two. "The West Bengal operations will contribute 10 to 15 per cent to our turnover," he said.
This is nearly 3 per cent of the total number of cable and satellite TV viewers--an extremely good number, considering past coverage data -- say media planners.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances