‘Prepared For Jio’s Challenge’

Anupam Srivastava, CMD, BSNL talks to BW Businessworld’s Brij Pahwa about the measures BSNL is taking to stand up to the increasing competition in the telecom sector.

Excerpts:

How is BSNL taking on the Reliance Jio challenge?
BSNL is an incumbent government operator in the Indian telecom industry. We have handled several challenges in voice as well as data businesses and remained a relevant telecom player till date. BSNL continues to offer high quality voice and data services at reasonable rates, which is affordable to both rural and urban population. We monitor industry operations on a regular basis and adjust our offerings regularly. So BSNL is prepared to face Reliance Jio’s challenge. Also, we believe in coopetition strategy, which is competitive as well as collaborative. I am sure this strategy will reap good benefits in the future.

What is the operational strategy of BSNL?
BSNL offers the most competitive tariff to its customers, across its range of services, be it mobile, landline or enterprise. No other operator offers such extensive range of services and this allows BSNL to have an edge in the hyper competitive market. In the past few years, BSNL has steadily performed better than the rest of the market in terms of acquisition of mobile customers. And this has been possible due to improved customer services, faster rollout of network and the most competitive schemes it offers to the customers.

Tell us about your latest deal with Microsoft India.
BSNL is working with Microsoft India on many projects for the past several years. Recently, we signed a memorandum of understanding so that both organisations can have a joint offering for the consumers. Initially, the areas of interest identified are bulk e-mails, digital locker, Internet data centres, etc. We have also signed an agreement for selling BSNL’s mobile services bundled with Microsoft’s mobile devices.

After Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, where do you plan to roll out your 4G services next?
BSNL is strengthening its core network. It is rolling out 4G services throughout India. Depending on the availability of spectrum, necessary planning shall be done. Additionally, Wi-Fi hotspots for mobile data offload would be added for the customer experience, which will increase data usage.

Tell us about your CSR initiatives.
As per the government’s policy, no CSR (corporate social responsibility) is required for a company which is not profitable. However, BSNL has undertaken several initiatives, which are unparallel in the Indian industry. Although we have been running crèches, schools, welfare centres, etc. all over India, we have been providing aid at the time of natural calamities, and making regular contributions to the PM’s Relief Fund.

Inside PSU is a dedicated space for peeping into the minds of policymakers, who act as catalysts for creation