Description:
Today, mobile connections are so readily accessible that it is perhaps easy to forget the time when only the elite had access to a phone provided by the sole operator: the Government of India. It all changed in the early 1990s as liberalization stirred the Indian economy out of its decades of complacency.
The Telecom Wars begins its narration from those times, traversing the uncertain early years of the mobile phone industry. It is a vivid portrait of the fierce competition as Tata, Birla, Reliance, and Bharti bid to capture the lion's share of India's billion voices. As they did, India's institutions to regulate and manage the sector also evolved--the ministry separated from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), and state-run operators MTNL and BSNL also joined the fray. Policy makers, entrepreneurs, and bureaucrats worked tirelessly to change India's cellular topography.
Fast-paced and expertly written, veteran financial journalist Deepali Gupta's account is both a comprehensive history and a work of great business insight.
Review Quotes:
A fascinating account of the evolution of the telecom industry in India. From waiting nearly 18 years to get a landline connection to a mobile in the hands of a billion people is nothing short of a revolution which has acted as a great leveller irrespective of the level of education, literacy, size, wealth and position. Deepali has painstakingly researched and gathered data and information to weave a story with a lot of drama and suspense to keep reader interest alive. It has all the ingredients of a Wild West adventure--ruthless corporate rivalries, close relationships going sour, and the vagaries of government policies--which fluctuated and played favourites but often brought clarity and uniformity. Also excellently covered is the innovation in selection and use of technology and sales and marketing to match those in the FMCG industry, especially the sharp focus on penetration where the ultimate winner is the customer!
This is a must read as what the book reflects is true for all industries in many countries.