The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has awarded a 5-year outsourcing contract to a Delhi-based call centre, Caretel Infotech, a part of Dalmiya group, for about Rs 300 crore.
Apple, the US consumer electronics and software company, is close to opening its iTune Store in India. iTune Store, the world's most popular online entertainment store, offers songs, movies, TV shows, podcasts, audiobooks and iPod games.
With at least seven more mobile service providers planning to launch operations in the Mumbai circle, following in the footsteps of GSM player Idea Cellular, the market is slated to become the country's most competitive and fierce telecom zone.
The negotiations were shelved following a difference of opinion on prices. "We intend to close both the deals by September," said a highly-placed source with MCorp, the holding company for B K Modi's group of companies.
You can soon buy your car or house sitting in front a television set. With Network 18 launching India's first home shopping channel Home Shop 18 in April, and Star TV group soon to join the fray, the home shopping channels are expected to be the next big thing for television broadcasters.
Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain), the third largest telecom operator in West Asia and a leading operator in Africa, has initiated talks with several Indian telecom service providers to buy stakes.
In a move that will not augur well for companies which have been awarded 2G licences recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has rejected proposals by new telecom entrants for a relaxation of rollout obligations.
In India, Apple users purchase entertainment content from other websites, at times from legitimate portals, but mostly end up buying pirated content in India.
Consumer durables major Videocon Industries' subsidiary Datacom Solutions, which has received telecom licences to begin pan-India operations, is planning to commence network rollout starting August 15 and services by year-end, becoming one of the first newcomers to launch operations.
Official telecaster Prasar Bharati has got Life Insurance Corporation, Maruti, Suzuki, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), Indian Oil Corporation, BSNL and Samsung on board as sponsors for telecast of the forthcoming Beijing Olympics. But with the tournament starting on August 8, Prasar Bharati is yet to have a presenting sponsor.
The deal is expected to be struck at $150 million (about Rs 600 crore). If the deal goes through, it will mark the entry of Indian companies in Hollywood studios.
Global mobile phone majors Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and others are offering a slew of products including touchscreen and music capable handsets in India to counter the might of Apple's iPhone, which is expected to hit the markets in September.
Etisalat, which is mulling an Indian foray, has since started discussions with several telecom companies including the Videocon Group's Datacom Solutions and Essar-controlled Loop Telecom for equity. Ravi Sharma, CEO of Datacom confirmed that Etilasat was one of the companies to which the company was talking but declined to offer details. Loop Telecom declined to comment.
On September 1, 2007, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India reigned in the 'don't call regime' with setting up of the NDNC. Subscribers had to register with the NDNC by calling the respective service provider and the marketing calls were to stop within the next 45 days. However, even after 10 months, unsolicited calls still haunt mobile users.
In yet another move to strengthen his association with the Sony Group, Spice Chairman B K Modi is in talks to buy stake in Sony BMG, the group's music subsidiary.
In two years, Mumbaikars will be able to take the waterway, forking out Rs 70 for a 45-minute journey between the city's commercial centre Nariman Point and its suburbs in Borivali, while enjoying the Arabian sea breeze. The high power committee chaired by Maharashtra chief secretary Johnny Joseph, in a meeting on Thursday, has finalised the bidding criteria for the ambitious passenger water transport project along the western coast of Mumbai.
Consider this. Leading broadcaster Star India's mobile interactive division, Star Mobile Entertainment -- which made some serious headway in the space by launching a service whereby mobile users could opt to view soaps from across Star India's network -- recently reviewed its operational strategy.
Twenty20 cricket is back again, but this time in an international avatar. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is expected to offer telecast rights for the Champions Twenty20 tournament in which domestic clubs from various countries will battle it out for top honours this September.
Idea Cellular, an Aditya Birla group company, is investing around Rs 647 crore (Rs 6.47 billion) for the rollout of operations in the Mumbai circle. The operations are expected to commence in two months time.
Move to skirt public offer for S African telco.