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Tag: india

  • Spar Asia flourishes

    Spar Asia flourishes

    Food retailer Spar Asia had “significant” developments during its latest financial year.

    In a partnership with Ramayana, the Amsterdam-based group opened 15 stores in Indonesia in nine months, had rapid growth in India after re-entering the market in 2014, and saw its China sales rise 6.8 per cent to €1.9 billion (US$2.14 billion).

    Internationally, its retail sales netted €33 billion for the year, a 3.5 per cent increase on 2014 – the group’s strongest sales growth in five years.

    During the year it entered four new countries, in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, taking its total to 12,100 stores in 42 countries serving 13 million customers a day. Spar International’s multi-format strategy includes hypermarkets, supermarkets, and neighbourhood and convenience stores.

    The fresh department is at the core of the Spar concept, with the stores also offering FMCG products and core non-food ranges. Value is underpinned through its low-priced, quality private-label products.

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  • Muji India set to make history

    Muji India set to make history

    Muji India  is about to become the first Japanese retailer to open stores in the nation.

    One is planned for Mumbai, the commercial capital, and another in Bangalore, the hub of the IT industry.

    This follows the forming of a joint venture by Muji owner Ryohin Keikaku, Tokyo, with Reliance Brands, based in Mumbai.

    Ryohin Keikaku is also the first-ever Japanese retailer to receive individual approval for a direct investment from the Indian government’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board.

    Its first venture will be the Muji Palladium. Opening in 2009, Mumbai’s Palladium is one of India’s largest shopping centres, attracting more than 24 million visitors every year. It has luxury retail brands, restaurants and a food court, and is next to a five-star hotel and cinema complex. The Muji India store, scheduled to open in August, will cover about 207 sqm.

    Muji’s second outlet will be in the VR Mall next to Phoenix Market City, which has fashion stores as well as a cinema complex and restaurants. Covering about 485 sqm, the Muji store is scheduled to open in September.

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  • Zalora Thailand and Vietnam to be offloaded

    Zalora Thailand and Vietnam to be offloaded

    Rocket Internet is selling its Zalora Thailand and Vietnam eCommerce fashion sites.

    This follows the Alibaba Group investing in Rocket Internet’s Lazada, valued at US$1.5 billion. Zalora, which raised more than $250 million, was once on an equal footing with Lazada, according toTechCrunch.

    Southeast Asia did not have service from Amazon or eBay when Rocket started Lazada and Zalora in 2012, but the two outlets have posted heavy losses and experienced slow market growth.

    Zalora, part of the Global Fashion Group (GFG), covers 11 countries across Asia Pacific, including Australia, Indonesia and Taiwan. While its revenue rose 78 per cent to US$234 million last year, its net loss blew out 36 per cent to $105 million.

    Meanwhile, Rocket has announced a new strategy that takes it back to its roots, launching early-stage startups. It sold India-based Fab Furnish this month and Foodpanda Vietnam last year, and is said to be seeking buyers for Foodpanda India and eCommerce site Jabong.

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  • Vodafone said to start preparations for Indian IPO

    Vodafone said to start preparations for Indian IPO

    The company has asked interested investment banks to sign NDAs so it can provide more detailed information about the unit, citing people familiar with the matter.

    Vodafone may be ready to pick advisers by next month, the sources said. Around 10% of the Indian unit could be sold as part of the IPO. Vodafone India has a potential valuation of around $20 billion, which would make the IPO the largest in India to date.

    Vodafone has been planning to conduct an IPO for Vodafone India for some time, but macroeconomic, regulatory and market conditions have stood in the way.

    On the record, Vodafone spokesperson Matt Morgan commented that “[w]e have previously stated that we have started preparations for a potential IPO, which includes private conversations with banks, but this is a lengthy process and no decision will be made until we are at the end of it.”

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  • Telenor may exit the Indian market

    Telenor may exit the Indian market

    Telenor India is gearing up to launch LTE services across its footprint, but according to reports Telenor’s days in India’s telecom sector may be numbered.

    CEO Sharad Mehrotra told that the operator has already upgraded 7,000 mobile sites to LTE.

    Telenor India plans to have its entire network upgraded by the end of the current financial year, which in India ends on March 31.

    The operator has awarded Huawei with a 12.4 billion rupee ($186.3 million) contract to modernize all 25,000 of its base stations across the six circles.

    But according to a separate report, Telenor is also considering exiting the Indian telecom market due to its negative experiences to date.

    Besides only holding spectrum in seven circles, Telenor India also has limited data spectrum and no 3G services. The company has only around a 5% share of India’s mobile market with its 2G-only operations.

    Despite investing over $3 billion since 2008 trying to build its Indian business, the loss of its Indian telecom licenses during the 2012 spectrum scandal was a setback the operator has been unable to come back from.

    According to the report, Telenor is seeking a valuation of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion for its Indian business, but experts believe the company could find it difficult to find a buyer at this price.

  • RCom to upgrade CDMA network to 4G from May

    RCom to upgrade CDMA network to 4G from May

    India’s Reliance Communications (RCom) has revealed plans to progressively upgrade its CDMA customers to 4G starting in May.

    The operator will upgrade its CDMA network to LTE using the newly liberalized 800-MHz spectrum starting on May 4, citing a letter sent from the company to the Department of Telecom.

    RCom will progressively move its roughly 5 million CDMA customers onto 4G as the rollout progresses.

    RCom has already liberalized its 800-MHz spectrum in 16 of India’s 22 telecom circles and recently received clearance from India’s cabinet to do the same in four more.

    The first round of spectrum liberalization cost a hefty 53.83 billion rupees ($806.5 million), while the second will cost around 1.3 billion rupees. In the remaining two circles, RCom has already paid for liberalized 800-MHz spectrum.

    The sources stating that RCom plans to take advantage of its spectrum sharing pact with Reliance Jio Infocomm by deploying its own network but mostly using Reliance Jio’s infrastructure to provide the 4G services.

    RCom and Reliance Jio plan to leverage each others’ spectrum to ensure they are both capable of providing pan-India 4G coverage and competing against the nation’s three largest operators, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, which have already launched 4G.

  • PGI: Platinum Jewellery Weathers Difficult Conditions Favorably in Key Markets

    PGI: Platinum Jewellery Weathers Difficult Conditions Favorably in Key Markets

    Platinum Guild International (“PGI”) today published the findings of its third annual Retail Barometer. The Barometer, conducted by independent platinum market experts and industry analysts, reveals the consumer retail sales data of platinum jewellery in 2015 and projections for 2016. It is the only research in the industry that measures sell-out, i.e. platinum ounces sold from retailers to consumers.

    The Retail Barometer gives a unique view of platinum demand from retail sales. Platinum jewellery is the second largest consumer of platinum in the world after the autocatalyst market.

    The research survey covered over 400 jewellery retail companies with approximately 23,000 retail outlets in the four main international markets of China, India, Japan and the USA. The research was conducted between January and February 2016.

    Huw Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of PGI, commented, “Despite manifold challenges in the luxury category and a difficult year for jewellery in general, jewellery retailers vested in platinum have weathered the storm ahead of their peers. The historically low platinum metal price has benefitted consumers and retailers alike, presenting a unique opportunity to acquire the most aspirational fine jewellery. Even China, the biggest market for platinum jewellery, shrank to a much lesser extent than other jewellery sectors. Both China and India remain key development markets for platinum jewellery which we will further grow ahead of the market average, leveraging successful programs and new launches.”

    Tim Schlick, Chief Strategy Officer of PGI, commented, “The jewellery industry is at a point where future growth comes from either conquest of market share or unlocking untapped consumer segments. PGI and our partners feel confident that having initiatives that provide both will continue to give us a competitive edge, as consumers increasingly seek quality and differentiation.”

    China
     China’s economic growth in 2015 was slowest in 25 years at 6.9%. The slow-down reflects an adjustment towards a consumption-based economy, which bodes well for future growth in platinum jewellery. Retail witnessed a year of fluctuation, however the growth in the H2 didn’t counter the decline in H1, resulting in a modest platinum jewellery volume decline of -4% for the whole year

    • The bridal segment continued to grow moderately despite the overall decline in jewellery consumption — in addition to pair rings and engagement rings, bridal platinum jewellery saw growth in other jewellery products, such as necklace and bracelet, which were typically purchased as a set along with the wedding rings.

    Based on initial retailer outlook, PGI expects to see a flat year of virtually no growth, or even a modest decline of 0% to -3%.

    India
     The Indian economy was also impacted by the global slow down, although consumer spending at a macro level increased slightly. Platinum Jewellery volume grew 24% in 2015, driven by increasing acceptance of platinum as the choice of the young aspiring urban consumer. Platinum saw increases across the board from Platinum Love Bands, Men’s Jewellery, and the new Evara Platinum Blessings, which marked platinum’s entry to the key wedding category in 2015.

    For 2016, PGI and retail partners expect continued growth of +23% — retailers expect platinum to continue outperforming the category average.

    Japan
     Japan’s economy is working to maintain modest recovery leading up to the 2020 Olympics with a GDP growth of 0.6%. The exceptionally warm winter benefitted jewellery and record numbers of inbound tourists benefitted metropolitan retailers and service providers, especially department stores and non-bridal. Platinum jewellery sales outperformed total jewellery, and platinum jewellery volume increase 2.7% in 2015.

    For 2016, retailers are nervous about economic outlook, but expect growth rate of +1% to +2% in platinum jewellery volume.

    USA
     The US economy has been further recovering and growing moderately at 1.9% in 2015 with overall retail growing in line with the GDP growth rate. Platinum jewelry imports experienced sharp increases in 2015, while retail demand increased +10%.

    For 2016, PGI expects platinum to continue to benefit from the positive 2015 momentum, in particular if the ounce price remains low, resulting in an expected volume growth rate of +5% to +7%.

     

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  • eCommerce won’t dent Asian retail real estate demand

    eCommerce won’t dent Asian retail real estate demand

    Growing online sales will not undermine demand for Asian retail real estate, according to the last CBRE study of major international brands.

    For the seventh edition of How Active Are Retailers Globally?, the real-estate company looked at more than 150 major international brands based in Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) countries.

    China is the top target market in the Asia Pacific (APAC) and fourth-ranked globally, with 27 per cent of retailers looking to expand there. Hong Kong follows in sixth position (24 per cent), Japan in seventh (22 per cent) and Singapore in ninth (21 per cent). The top three globally were Germany (35 per cent), France (33 per cent) and the UK (29 per cent).

    China and Hong Kong maintained their placings, while Japan, Singapore and Australia (11th) all rose higher in the ranking, up from 13th, 18th and 15th positions respectively.

    “Hong Kong will remain a desirable market for retailers, particularly as it continues to serve as a popular shopping destination for mainland Chinese tourists,” says CBRE Hong Kong executive director for retail services Joe Lin.

    “The main difference is a shift from luxury to mid-range brands. This is forcing luxury retailers to consolidate their footprint, leading to a drop in rental cost in prime locations and therefore opportunities for non-luxury retail brands.”

    Most APAC markets saw increased interest for this year, with the exception of China and South Korea. Malaysia (10 per cent), Indonesia (9 per cent), Thailand, Vietnam and The Philippines (all 8 per cent) received more than double the interest they saw last year, when all markets secured between 1 and 3 per cent.

    Asked about the risk factors for the coming year, brands indicated that real-estate cost escalation (56 per cent) and unclear economic prospects (42 per cent) continue to be at the forefront of their minds.

    “We’re seeing more of a challenging economic environment, and concerns such as high operating costs and a lack of quality space means retailers are somewhat more wary this year,” says CBRE head of Asia Pacific research Dr Henry Chin. “However, even as markets such as China and Hong Kong are experiencing a slowdown, we see increasing numbers of opportunistic retailers looking to enter markets like Hong Kong, supported by strong underlying consumer demand.

    “Japan and Australia remain attractive, while Southeast Asia showed strong growth because of opportunities for retailers around an expanding middle class and stronger economic growth.” CBRE senior director and head of retailer representation for Asia Joel Stephen says there are still opportunities for retailers to grow their business in Asia, underscored by the region having four of the 10 most popular destinations. “The goal now for all brick-and-mortar retailers is to build an engaging offer that encourages people to stay longer and spend more.”

    The survey shows that 83 per cent of brands suggest their physical store expansion plans for this year will not be affected by the growth of eCommerce. From a retailer perspective, only 22 per cent of the brands see stiff competition from online retailing as a threat to their business.

    At the same time, retailers are cautiously optimistic on physical expansion. Of those canvassed, 17 per cent have large-scale ambitions, many of them looking to open more than 40 stores this year (up from 9 per cent last year), while 67 per cent plan to open up to 20 stores.

    “A physical store presence in key locations is still critical to the strength of a brand’s image,” says Stephen. “Customers still feel a need to go into stores, to physically touch a product and enjoy the feel-good factor associated with a particular brand experience. The store is integral to the shopping journey and can be used in different ways, such as to click and collect, research of the product or brand, or to test the product. It isn’t solely about the transactional side.”

    A new trend is brands looking to expand into travel hubs, such as airports and train stations, giving them access to high footfall in busy locations. But for APAC retailers, shopping malls are still the preferred destination by far, at close to 90 per cent.

    While globally the key concern for brands in negotiations for premises is lease length, APAC retailers are most concerned with turnover rent clauses (GP). They are also particularly concerned about changing consumer behaviour (40 per cent), which is higher than the global average (31 per cent).

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  • New Balance India return

    New Balance India return

    New Balance India is to make a comeback – and says it aims to open about 50 stores within the next few years.

    The US sports shoes brand’s first foray into India was in the early 2000s, but it shut its shops after a few years. Now its VP for Asia Pacific Darren Tucker says it plans outlets across shopping malls and high streets in Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR), Mumbai and Bengaluru.

    “We were ahead of time,” says Tucker. “We did not have such a wide brand presence globally then, and the retailing experience was poor. Now, the market looks more mature.”

    Its first store this time around opened yesterday – an 1100 sqft (102 sqm) New Balance Athletic Shoes standalone outlet at DLF Mall of India in Noida, near New Delhi. The company has a distribution agreement with The Major Brands Group in Mumbai for retailing New Balance products in India.

    “It’s not about the number of stores,” says Tucker. “We would prefer to have a profitable retail presence and grow at a relatively slower pace this time.

    “All our global competitors are here. The market is built. We know our competitors, and that’s an advantage.”

    With an average selling price of Rs.7000 (US$105) for shoes, New Balance will be a premium offering. Tucker says apparel is a promising segment, so lifestyle will be a focus area. The company has also tied up with online retailer Jabong for e-etailing, and is negotiating with global partner Amazon for the Indian market.

    “Considering the growth of eCommerce in India, that’s a must,” says Tucker. The company will continue to leverage its global marketing properties across sports and athletics, and plans to develop local properties. “For India, it’s going to be cricket first.”

    At the moment, the sports shoe and apparel market in India is dominated by Adidas, Nike, Puma and Reebok. Japan’s Asics Corp. opened its first standalone store in Delhi last July.

    A report by Images F&R Research estimates India’s active sportswear market at Rs.6000 crore, growing at 13 per cent a year.

    New Balance, which reported $3.3 billion in sales worldwide in 2014, was founded in 1906 by British immigrant William J. Riley to sell arch supports to police officers and waiters. The company was bought by Jim Davis, the son of a Greek immigrant, in 1972 and from its base in Boston now sells athletic shoes, apparel and accessories for men, women and children across 5000 outlets worldwide under brands such as Aravon, Brine, Dunham, PF Flyers and Warrior Sports.

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  • Anti-Hindu posters at Texas “Dairy Queen” removed

    Anti-Hindu posters at Texas “Dairy Queen” removed

    Anti-Hindu signs at Kemah (Texas) restaurant of “Dairy Queen” (DQ), which upset Hindus worldwide found highly inappropriate, have been reportedly removed.

    Dean A. Peters, Associate Vice President of Communications of American Dairy Queen Corporation headquartered in Minneapolis, in an email response to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, wrote on March 31 evening: “We are pleased to announce that as of Wednesday, March 30th, the DQ location in Kemah, Texas is now under new ownership and all interior and exterior signs posted by the former franchisee were immediately removed from that location.”

    Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada today, thanked International Dairy Queen (IDQ) Inc. for understanding the feelings of the community and resolving the issue.

    But, Rajan Zed pointed out, that DQ appeared to have been shirking from its responsibility by not formally apologizing for allowing these derogatory signs reportedly posted at its Kemah store for many months. DQ seemed to have even failed to follow its own “Mission Statement: To create positive memories for all who touch DQ” by permitting such disparaging signs.

    Zed urged IDQ Inc. CEO John P. Gainor Junior to come up with an official apology and institute a mechanism in its franchise operations ensuring that such belittling of religions did not happen in the future. Posters reportedly displayed at its Kemah store were highly inappropriate and trivialized the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a highly philosophical thought.

    International Dairy Queen Inc.; based in Minneapolis; is a subsidiary of Omaha headquartered Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; serving treats and food in over 6,600 locations in USA, Canada and 28 other countries since 1940. Warren E. Buffett is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

  • IOC bids for fuel marketing and retail rights in Myanmar

    IOC bids for fuel marketing and retail rights in Myanmar

    State-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has bid for rights to import, store and distribute petroleum products in Myanmar.

    “We have put in a bid to enter fuel marketing and retail business in Myanmar,” a senior company official said.

    Myanma Petroleum Products Enterprise (MPPE) last year invited companies to form a joint venture for import, storage, distribution and sale of all petroleum products except liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

    A separate tender for cooking gas LPG was floated. IOC had bid for that tender too, the official said.

    MPPE left the fuel distribution business when it was privatised in 2010, but is planning a re-entry into the fast-growing business sector that is marred by widespread dissatisfaction over service standards and fuel quality.

    In 2010, MPPE transferred 216 filling stations to private companies across the country but it still runs 12 pumps which supply fuel to state-owned vehicles.

    It also owns four main fuel terminals and 24 sub-fuel terminals. Around 70 private companies run the country’s 1163 petrol stations, but few have storage facilities or an import licence.

    MPPE now wants to tie up with foreign companies to expand the business and rehabilitate existing facilities. MPPE will hold 51 per cent of equity while the foreign company will hold the rest.

    The joint venture will be for a maximum of 30 years, extendable two 10-year periods.

    The official said IOC wants to use its just commissioned Paradip refinery in Odisha to ship fuel a short distance across the Bay of Bengal to get to Myanmar.

    Being the country’s largest fuel retailer, it also has experience of setting up fuel stations and managing logistics, which would be helpful in the nascent market.

    IOC is among the 11 to have bid for the separate tender to build a new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal and supply chain business for the distribution and marketing of the cooking and heating fuel.

    Winner of this tender will have to upgrade eight storage containers each with a capacity of 5550 metric tonnes of LPG for Ministry of Energy-owned No 1 Refinery (Thanlyin), and build a wharf with the capacity to load and unload 2000 metric tonnes of LPG.

    This is the first time foreign companies will be allowed to distribute LPG in Myanmar.

    Besides IOC, Singaporean firms Puma Energy Group and BB Energy (Asia) and a consortium of Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and Tokai Holdings has also bid.

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  • Hong Kong textile eye India as alternative production base to cut cost

    Hong Kong textile eye India as alternative production base to cut cost

    India is rising, not only as a new choice of relocating labour-intensive industries from China, but also as a retail market of good potential, says a research report by The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

    In recent years, the sustained rise in production costs on the Chinese mainland has eroded the profit margins of many Hong Kong companies with labour-intensive factories located on the Chinese mainland, prompting them to seek alternative production bases elsewhere.

    While Southeast Asian countries offer many choices, the HKTDC report says India offers many advantages as an alternative production base, along with the added advantage of having a domestic market of great potential.

    According to the report, the majority of Indian garment producers are focused on the domestic market, as their product quality was generally lower than the standards required by overseas importers.

    Despite this, many big Indian exporters have successfully lined up with international buyers, including department stores, retail chains and brands.

    The paper was written after a recent field trip to India that included factory visits and interviews with garment manufacturers.

    In the four years to 2014, India’s garment exports increased at an average annual rate of 12 per cent, surpassing China’s 9 per cent, in line with Bangladesh’s 13 per cent and eclipsed by Vietnam’s 17 per cent.

    With advantages of raw materials and prospects of vertical integration, India is a strong garment exporting country and a location worth considering for factory relocation in relation to labour-intensive manufacturing, such as garment-making.

    The report pointed out that while China is the undisputed world leader in exporting textiles and garment products, many have overlooked India’s position as the world’s second biggest exporter of textile and garment products in 2014, selling a total of $36 billion, during the year, far behind China’s $399 billion.

    For textile exports alone, India was second after China in 2014, with a share of 5.8 per cent of the global market, compared to China’s enormous 35.6 per cent share.

    HKTDC says it is not surprising that the bulk of garment manufacturing in India is for the domestic market, supported by the country’s huge capacity in textiles production.

    India stands out to be a substantial exporter in both garments and textiles. In 2014, India imported textiles worth only $3.8 billion, lagging much behind Vietnam’s $12 billion, Bangladesh’s $6.8 billion, and just ahead of Cambodia’s $3 billion, the report said.

  • Xiaomi India lodges FDI application

    Xiaomi India lodges FDI application

    Xiaomi India, the Chinese smartphone maker’s local subsidiary, has lodged an application with the government to operate single-brand retail stores.

    The move coincides with US tech giant Apple resubmitting a similar application as it attempts to gain formal Indian Government approval to operate its own Apple Stores in the heavily-regulated economy.

    Xiaomi currently sells handsets online and through a network of offline distributors.

    But to gain approval to open single-brand stores, companies must commit to sourcing at least 30 per cent of its stock or componentry locally. Apple is applying for a waiver of this clause on the grounds it makes “state-of-the-art” and”’cutting edge” technology products which cannot be sourced locally.

    “Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has submitted an application to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP),” an official confirmed to Indian news media this week.

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  • Hong Kong textile cos eye Make in India to cut costs

    Hong Kong textile cos eye Make in India to cut costs

    India is rising, not only as a new choice of relocating labour-intensive industries from China, but also as a retail market of good potential, says a research report by The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

    In recent years, the sustained rise in production costs on the Chinese mainland has eroded the profit margins of many Hong Kong companies with labour-intensive factories located on the Chinese mainland, prompting them to seek alternative production bases elsewhere.

    While Southeast Asian countries offer many choices, the HKTDC report says India offers many advantages as an alternative production base, along with the added advantage of having a domestic market of great potential.

    According to the report, the majority of Indian garment producers are focused on the domestic market, as their product quality was generally lower than the standards required by overseas importers.

    Despite this, many big Indian exporters have successfully lined up with international buyers, including department stores, retail chains and brands.

    The paper was written after a recent field trip to India that included factory visits and interviews with garment manufacturers.

    In the four years to 2014, India’s garment exports increased at an average annual rate of 12 per cent, surpassing China’s 9 per cent, in line with Bangladesh’s 13 per cent and eclipsed by Vietnam’s 17 per cent.

    With advantages of raw materials and prospects of vertical integration, India is a strong garment exporting country and a location worth considering for factory relocation in relation to labour-intensive manufacturing, such as garment-making.

    The report pointed out that while China is the undisputed world leader in exporting textiles and garment products, many have overlooked India’s position as the world’s second biggest exporter of textile and garment products in 2014, selling a total of $36 billion, during the year, far behind China’s $399 billion.

    For textile exports alone, India was second after China in 2014, with a share of 5.8 per cent of the global market, compared to China’s enormous 35.6 per cent share.

    HKTDC says it is not surprising that the bulk of garment manufacturing in India is for the domestic market, supported by the country’s huge capacity in textiles production.

    India stands out to be a substantial exporter in both garments and textiles. In 2014, India imported textiles worth only $3.8 billion, lagging much behind Vietnam’s $12 billion, Bangladesh’s $6.8 billion, and just ahead of Cambodia’s $3 billion, the report said.

  • Airtel to allow prepaid data top-ups for postpaid plans

    Airtel to allow prepaid data top-ups for postpaid plans

    India’s Bharti Airtel has introduced an innovative new service allowing post-paid business customers to top up their data allocations with prepaid credit.

    The operator will allow customers to recharge their accounts through retail or online credit purchases or mobile wallets.

    The new Prepaid on Postpaid feature has been introduced to give business customers more flexibility in how they use their mobile plans while simplifying the data experience.

    Users of corporate plans that lack mobile data, for example, could pay for their own allocations rather than needing to swap SIMs or devices every time they want to use their data allocations.

    Standard prepaid data recharges start at 99 rupees ($1.48), the company said. Airtel has asserted that allowing prepaid top-ups for postpaid plans is an industry first.

    Bharti Airtel is India’s largest mobile operator with an estimated 245.8 million customers as of the end of January.

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