Latest news with #Vi
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Vi's subscriber loss widens in April, Jio leads in gains
Mumbai: Vodafone Idea (Vi) lost 600,000 users on an overall basis-and 1.1 million active users-in April, belying expectations that India's third-largest telecom operator will be able to arrest heavy subscriber churn after its launch of 5G services. Vi's subscriber losses continue to widen on a monthly basis even as it expands 4G and 5G coverage to major markets across the country. In March, Vi lost 500,000 subscribers, adding to its 200,000 loss in February. Vi has been continuously losing subscribers to bigger rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel . Data issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Thursday showed Jio led overall additions last month, gaining 2.6 million users, outpacing Airtel's 200,000 users. For Airtel, user addition in April was muted compared to 1.3 million, 1.6 million, and 1.7 million in March, February and January, respectively. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pare a neuropatia: descubra como NeuroFit Undo Jio reinforced its dominance in the 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) segment with an 81.9% market share, adding 570,000 users in April. Airtel added 160,000 5G FWA users, ending the month with an 18.1% market share. 5G FWA is the next big competing ground for telcos as it generates thrice the average revenue per user (ARPU at ₹600-700) than mobile. India's telecom sector added 1.9 million users overall in April, boosting total broadband subscriber base to 943.09 million and marking sustained recovery after SIM consolidation-induced losses last year. Live Events In terms of active subscribers, Jio gained 5.5 million, while Airtel lost 4.1 million, followed by Vi's loss of 1.1 million. As of April, 96.6% of overall Jio users were active, lower than Airtel's 98.9%. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) requests remained elevated, with 13.48 million users seeking to switch operators in April alone.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Vi rolls out international roaming plans with unlimited data, calling from Rs 749: Benefits, country list and other details
Summer travel season is here and Vi has announced 'Truly Unlimited' international roaming (IR) packs offering unlimited data, voice, and SMS benefits. Vi Truly Unlimited postpaid IR packs start at Rs 749 for 1 day, Rs 3,999 for 10 days, and Rs 4,999 for 14 days. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While the Truly Unlimited Prepaid IR packs are available at Rs 3,495 for 7 days, Rs 4,695 for 10 days and Rs 5,195 for 14 days. Vi's unlimited international roaming benefits are available across 29 countries, ensuring more Indian travellers to stay connected without limits. Vi has also rolled out a new feature called Easy+, allowing users on corporate postpaid plans to directly purchase international roaming packs for personal use via the Vi App. List of Vi Truly unlimited Postpaid and Prepaid IR plans IR Pack Validity Data Outgoing Local & to India Incoming Calls SMS Postpaid Rs 749 24 Hrs Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Rs 3999 10 days Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Rs 4999 14 days Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Prepaid Rs 3495 7 Days Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Rs 4695 10 days Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Rs 5195 14 days Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited List of countries where Vi Truly Unlimited postpaid IR plans are applicable Indonesia Spain Sri Lanka Czech Republic France Germany Greece Italy Malaysia Netherlands Singapore Thailand UAE United Kingdom USA Australia Brazil Hong Kong Macau Albania New Zealand Portugal Romania Vatican City & more.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Waiver of AGR dues to help Vodafone Idea stay afloat in telecom sector: Ambit Capital
NEW DELHI: A potential Central government decision to waive interest on unpaid adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, penalty and interest on penalty would enable Vodafone Idea (Vi) to raise bank debt, enabling India's third-largest telecom carrier to carry out capital expenditure (capex) and hold on to its nearly 200 million subscribers, said Ambit Capital . 'The government has consistently maintained its intent to maintain a 3+1 structure in the telecom industry. With the Supreme Court now providing clarity on potential relief, the government has no choice but to act,' the brokerage said in a research note Friday, which ETTelecom has reviewed. 'Waiver of interest on unpaid AGR dues, penalty and interest on penalty would help the company raise bank debt, giving VI an opportunity to expand its network, carry out capex and hold on to its ~200 million users,' it said. According to Ambit, with the government unwilling to increase its stake in the telco beyond 49% and promoters unable to commit additional capital, the conversion of Vi's dues into equity is an 'unviable alternative'. It said deferring dues would 'merely postpone the issue' without resolving it. Should the government choose this route, Vi may struggle to secure bank loans essential for funding its growth capex. ET, in its May 23, 2025, edition, reported that Vi has revived debt-raising talks with banks that had stalled over uncertainty around the telco's regulatory dues. The telco has been discussing fundraising with lenders since 2024, but the pace has picked up particularly after the Supreme Court on May 19 dismissed the company's plea seeking a ₹45,000 crore waiver on penalties and interest linked to its ₹83,400 crore adjusted gross revenue (AGR) liability. 'Without AGR relief, our calculation confirms what Vi argued in the SC. Repayment of current statutory dues would lead Vi to run out of its cash reserves by March 2026,' Ambit said. 'Thus, supportive action before the payment date of March 2026 is the most likely outcome.' Vi plans to invest ₹50,000-₹55,000 crore in capex through FY28, mainly in 4G modernisation and 5G roll-outs, which is crucial for the struggling telco to bolster its networks and prevent subscriber port-outs to its stronger rivals, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel . Between March 2024 and February 2025, the telecom joint venture between India's Aditya Birla Group (ABG) and the UK's Vodafone Group Plc, raised around ₹26,000 crore via equity, including ₹4,000 crore from vendors. Vi has previously said it has been in discussions with lenders for over a year to secure ₹35,000 crore in bank financing, including ₹10,000 crore in non-fund-based credit. Ambit Capital estimates that despite tariff hikes in July 2024, Vi's annualised 3QFY25 cash EBITDA of ₹9,800 crore isn't sufficient to pay off ₹16,900 crore due in FY26. 'In June 2025, Vi will likely receive ₹64bn (₹6,400 crore) equity funding from Vodafone PLC as an indemnity payment. But the same isn't sufficient for Vi to raise bank loan funding of Rs250bn (₹25,000 crore), which is necessary for the company to carry out its target ₹500-550bn (₹50,000-55,000 crore) FY25-28 capex,' the brokerage said. As of December 31, 2024, Vodafone Idea's bank debt was ₹2,330 crore. At the same time, government dues related to spectrum and AGR liabilities were at ₹2.15 lakh crore, excluding interest. Under the 2021 telecom relief package, large repayments were deferred until October 2025.
Entrepreneur
23-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Vi and Liferay: Powering a New Era of Commerce, From Consumer to Enterprise
"Vi's visionary approach to building a highly personalized and integrated digital services clearly demonstrates their unwavering focus on understanding and exceeding modern customer expectations," Manish Gupta, Director, Liferay India You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, telecommunications companies are no longer confined to providing just connectivity. Vi, a leading telecom operator in India, recognized this shift and has undergone a strategic transformation to become a comprehensive digital service provider. One of the initiatives under this transformation is the collaboration with Liferay, a global provider of digital commerce, to build Vi's experience platform. This partnership has, in the past, introduced innovative capabilities for Vi's consumer base, and is now expanding these services to enterprise clients. The initial phase of the Vi-TCS-Liferay collaboration has seen the rollout of features aimed at improving customer engagement and enabling new revenue models. A key outcome is the development of ViShop, a digital marketplace that acts as a central hub integrating a range of non-telecom offerings. For Vi subscribers and even non-subscribers, this offering introduces a world full of digital services and subscriptions within the Vi ecosystem. Users can access gift cards for shopping destinations, travel vouchers for planning trips, or discounts on groceries and food—all from a single platform. The partnership also allows Vi to deliver personalized digital experiences. Leveraging Liferay's commerce solution, Vi can tailor offers and discounts based on user behavior and preferences. These capabilities go beyond simple promotions, potentially offering access to financial products such as insurance, loans, and investment tools. Credit card application features are already live, while integrated subscription management for ViMTV—including OTT platforms, news, and infotainment—is being streamlined for user convenience. Another key feature is the ability to create customizable bundles across telecom and non-telecom categories. Users can now build their own service packages to match individual preferences. This increased flexibility offers customers more control over how they engage with Vi's digital ecosystem. "Liferay DXP provided the right set of features that enabled us to launch ViShop in under a year. Its agility to support bi-weekly enhancements has been instrumental in improving customer experience and onboarding new sellers. Through ViShop, we've grown our non-telco offerings by 30x, with the value of transactions seeing an even more impressive multiplier." Aneesh Kumar, EVP Digital, Vi Building on this foundation, Vi and Liferay are now aiming to address enterprise needs. The plan to extend Vi's commerce framework to business clients could offer integrated solutions that support operational efficiency, employee engagement, and digital growth. By adapting its consumer-facing tools, Vi can offer marketplaces for procurement, customized bundles of communication services, and access to industry-relevant software to enterprises. The framework could also help businesses manage employee subscriptions to learning platforms or access tailored deals on essential tools—all through a single platform. "Vi's visionary approach to building a highly personalized and integrated digital services clearly demonstrates their unwavering focus on understanding and exceeding modern customer expectations," Manish Gupta, Director, Liferay India. With its established telecom infrastructure and Liferay's digital experience platform, Vi is expanding its role to include digital services for both consumers and enterprises. This strategic shift diversifies Vi's offerings while reflecting a broader industry trend of combining connectivity with value-added digital services.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Vodafone Idea rolls out truly unlimited data plans in this city
Leading telecom provider Vodafone Idea has introduced its truly unlimited data plan , Vi Nonstop Hero , in Kolkata. The plan is designed to eliminate data exhaustion for prepaid customers, ensuring continuous high-speed connectivity throughout the validity period. Designed to address the issue of data quota exhaustion for prepaid customers, the Nonstop Hero Plan aims to offer a worry-free data experience throughout the entire validity period. 'The Vi Nonstop Hero plan caters to this booming demand for high-speed connectivity, offering truly unlimited data along with unlimited voice calls, across three recharge packs. This new offering underscores Vi's commitment to putting customers first, empowering them to embrace the digital revolution without limits,' said the company in a press release. Starting at just Rs 398, the Vi Nonstop Hero plan is now available in Kolkata, with benefits varying across recharge packs to suit different customer needs. Besides Kolkata, Vi Nonstop Hero plans are available in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, , Maharashtra & Goa, Assam & North-East and Orissa. Here is the list of recharge packs on which Vi Nonstop Hero benefits are applicable: MRP Benefits Validity 398 UL Calls + Full Day Unlimited Data + 100SMS/day, 28 Days 28 Days 698 UL Calls + Full Day Unlimited Data + 100SMS/day, 56 Days 56 Days 1048 UL Calls + Full Day Unlimited Data + 100SMS/day, 84 Days 84 Days AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
