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Telecommunication is an ever-growing industry. The rise in mobile-phone penetration and decline in data costs have added millions of internet users in India. With 493.96 million internet subscribers, the Mobile-based Internet is the key component of Indian Internet usage.
Thus, in an attempt to attract this section of customers, telecom companies are rolling out new plans and strategies. Bharti Airtel has recently collaborated with e-commerce companies like Flipkart, Netflix and MakeMyTrip to offer customised services to the customers.
Transforming into Digital Platform
Today’s customers prefer one-place service, they don’t have the time and patience to look out for various platforms for selective services. Telecom companies are not only offering network and internet services but also providing a whole host of benefits. They are transforming into a digital platform that could increase customer stickiness and, over time, generate higher revenues.
Airtel under its privileged membership programme #AirtelThanks is providing a host of benefits to subscribers who on an average contribute monthly revenue of over Rs 100 on an average. Owing to its tie-up with Netflix, the company as a part of this programme is offering free Netflix access for its customers. The programme runs on the principle of higher the recharge, the bigger the value of the offers which includes cash backs from Flipkart.
Sustaining Amidst Competition
There is a fierce competition in the telecom industry. The companies have made their and data prices to all-time lows to gain more subscribers. Amidst this cutthroat competition for subscribers, mobile phone operators are increasingly looking to differentiate their services by offering various services and products, which could be monetised later.
Jaideep Ghosh, a partner at consultancy firm KPMG, said, “In the current competitive landscape, traditional sources of plain vanilla telecom services and data services are facing intense pressure and telcos need to branch out into other services.”
Reliance Jio
Reliance’s Jio has a huge role in this transformation of the telecom industry. Jio’s offering has compelled telecommunication companies to notch up their game. Jio leverages on its own digital retail platform, offline retail stores and content to customize offers for its subscribers. The customers are able to enjoy a variety of services at an affordable price.
Telecom companies would need to get into partnerships to achieve this. Since Airtel doesn’t have its own content and e-commerce platform, it took the way of tie-ups to tap over 350 million subscribers.
It’s important for the likes of Airtel to retain their existing subscribers in the face of Jio’s customer acquisition policies and then eventually generating higher revenues.
