JOIN USVodafone India has invested Rs 300 crore during FY 2015 in Karnataka to enhance customer experience by strengthening its network and engaging with retail customers.
In an interaction with the media on Wednesday, Vodafone Karnataka Business Head Atanu Batabyal said the company has reached a total customer base of 67 lakh in the circle. “We have over 9,250 2G sites reaching out to over 12,850 towns and villages covering 76 per cent of population, bringing them under the fold of superior connectivity and seamless service experience,” said Batabyal.
Besides laying out over 6,800 km of optic fibre cable, the company also added 400 2G sites, along with an extensive retail network of 60 Vodafone Stores, 176 urban mini Vodafone, and 633 rural mini Vodafone stores.
The company also provided seamless 3G roaming experience across an additional 161 towns and villages in Karnataka. “We have been taking a series of ground-level activities to increase awareness and adoption of data services. Our data revenue has grown significantly at a rate of 68 per cent year on year. Data contributes 17 per cent of total service revenues of the Karnataka circle,” he said. “To give unmatched live retail experience to our new age customers in Karnataka, Vodafone has also launched Global Design stores. We have already opened 21 Global Design Retail stores in the state,” Batabyal said.
M-Pesa, a mobile banking and payment solution from Vodafone, has been so popular in Karnataka as part of its financial inclusion effort, that it currently has 4,400-plus agents, and a customer base of 1.5 lakh. Batabyal said the company’s enterprise business is 24 per cent of its total revenues in the state. “We are expecting more traction in this segment as Bengaluru is the IT capital of India,” he said.