Tata Communications

1986 
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam was Incorporated on 19th March with the
 object
 of assuming responsibilities for providing international
 
 telecommunication services, which were being provided by the
 erstwhile
 OCS, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.
 
 - The main business of the Company is to provide basic international
 switched telecommunication services - comprising telephone, telex
 and
 telegraph services.
 
 - VSNL is now concentrating on two telecom - related services.  One
 is
 a vital service for aeronautical, maritime, and onshore and offshore
 mobile communications in the Indian ocean, the other is the growing
 software export business.
 
 - The Company provides telex services to 237 territories worldwide
 and
 handles on an average more than 15,000 international telex calls
 each
 day.  The Company handles on an average approximately 600 telegrams
 daily.
 
 1992
 
 - The Company offers Intelsat Business Service - a dedicated
 satellite-based service that provides high speed, high quality data
 circuits on a point-to-point basis through earth stations
 strategically
 located near the customer's premises.
 
 - The Company has entered the era of mobile communications by
 commissioning its own Land Earth Station (LES) at Arvi near Pune.
 
 - The Company won the prestigious IMM Award (Institute of Marketing
 and
 management) for the best marketing Company of the year 1992 amongst
 both public and Private Sectors.
 
 1993
 
 - The Company introduced Inmarsat-C service, which permits
 transmission
 of messages via small portable terminals.
 
 - The Company introduced a video conferencing service (both domestic
 and international) through studios located at the Company's
 international gateways at Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai. 
 The
 Company also provides international relay of television programs and
 news services via satellite on a contractual basis.
 
 - The company has been recognised as one of the best run companies
 in
 the country, rated `EXCELLENT' for the sixth successive year
 1998-99,
 among Memorandum of understanding [MoU] signing PSEs.
 
 1994
 
 - The Company launched the Concert Packet Service (CPS) for Indian
 customers on 7 June, in co-operation with British Telecom, UK.
 
 1995
 
 - In November, the Company introduced Inmarsat-B services for voice
 and
 data transmissions and Inmarsat-M services for voice transmissions,
 both in digital format.
 
 - The Company commenced providing Internet access services in
 August,
 and is the largest commercial provider of access to the Internet in
 Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore and Pune and also a
 dominant commercial provider of access to the Internet in India,
 with
 DoT providing access where the Company is unable to do so.
 
 - The Company is one of the founding investors in ICO Global
 Communications (Holdings) Limited which was formed by a consortium
 of
 international telecommunications companies, governments and
 satellite
 and telephone equipment manufacturers to establish and operate a
 satellite-based mobile telecommunication system.
 
 - Internet Access Services were introduced by the Company in India
 on
 15th August.
 
 - The Company is setting up two Standard `A' Intelsat earth
 stations,
 one at Halisahar (Calcutta) and second at Korattur (Chennai).  
 
 - The Company has introduced two innovative Incentive Schemes for
 increased usage of Hindi with cash incentives to staff at all levels
 viz. incentive scheme for passing different Hind examinations and
 incentive scheme for doing original work in Hindi.
 
 1996
 
 - VSNL have accorded approval to set up a subsidiary company to
 provide
 value added services in India, with a share capital of upto Rs 80
 crores.
 
 - The Company is the exclusive provider of public international
 telecommunication services in India, linking the domestic Indian
 telecommunications network to 236 territories worldwide.
 
 - The Company has entered into a Construction and Maintenance
 Agreement
 with other international telecommunication carriers for the
 construction of SEA-ME-WE-3, a high capacity undersea optical fibre
 cable extending from Germany to Japan and Australia that will land in
 a
 total of 33 countries.
 
 - The Company has recently announced the introduction of `Universal
 Connect' services jointly with TMI (Tele Media International) a
 wholly-owned subsidiary of Telecommunications Italia.
 
 - The Company has signed a Construction and Maintenance Agreement
 for
 the Fibre Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG).
 
 1997
 
 - The Company introduced managed data network services in January
 and
 now offers such services through the global alliance networks of six
 global partners-BT, Cable & Wireless, EQUANT, Global One, IBM Global
 Services and Tele Media International.
 
 - In February, the Company and DoT agreed to the current revenue
 sharing arrangement, which took effect on 1st April, and will remain
 effective until 31st March 2002.
 
 - The Company has made an offering of 30000000 Global Depository
 Receipts (GDRs) representing 15000000 No. of Equity Shares at an
 offer
 price of US .93 per GDR in March/April.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd, the country's only Internet service
 provider, has suspended new dial-up connections.
 
 - Subhash Chandra promoted Afro-Asian Satellite Communications (ASC)
 and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) will be jointly setting up a
 dedicated primary gateway in Mumbai following the implementation of
 the
 former's 0 million Agrani project.
 
 - VSNL will also set up its own facilities for a Direct-to-Home
 (DTH)
 television service platform for Indian satellite television
 channels.
 
 - The company has also entered into a construction and maintenance
 agreement with other international telecom carriers for the
 construction of SEA-ME-WE-3, a high capacity undersea optical fibre
 cable extending from Germany to Japan and Australia that will land in
 a
 total of 33 countries.
 
 - VSNL also gearing up to introduce Globally Managed Data Services
 in
 technical cooperation with telecom major Cable & Wireless of the UK.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) launched the Inmarsat-Phone
 services,
 also called the Mini-M service, in Chennai.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) will be setting up international
 gateways in Ernakulam, Jalandhar and Ahmedabad by the year-end, and
 two
 more next year, in Hyderabad and Kanpur.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is inviting fresh proposals from
 AT&T
 Unisource, BT-MCI and Sprint International for its proposed joint
 venture for setting up a regional hub in the country.
 
 - A memorandum of understanding was signed here recently between
 Electronic Corporation of Goa (ECG) and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd
 (VSNL)
 for setting up an earth station at the Verna software Technology
 Park,
 South Goa, besides providing allied services in satellite
 communication.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has emerged as the second largest
 investor in ICO Global Communications (ICOGC).
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has joined several other Asian
 telecom companies in legally challenging the right of US telecom
 regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to
 unilaterally
 determine the rates for telecom access to the United States.
 
 - Globalstar India Satellite Service (P) Ltd. (GISS) and Videsh
 Sanchar
 Nigam Ltd. (VSNL) have signed a memorandum of understanding for
 putting
 up three gateways for GISS in India.
 
 - VSNL and ICO Global Communications signed a final agreement for
 establishing an ICO Satellite Access Node (SAN) at Chattarpur, New
 Delhi.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL, India's international telecom carrier)
 has obtained a AAA rating from Credit Rating & Information Services
 of
 India (Crisil) for a Rs.100 crore bond issue.  This is the first
 time
 the VSNL has gone in for a credit rating.
 
 - The company signed a five year revenue sharing agreement with the
 DoT
 assuring VSNL and stead per minute revenue from international basic
 telephony traffic despite fall in accounting rate and restructuring
 the
 License fee arrangement.
 
 1998
 
 - VSNL is set to join World source Services, which provides latest
 telecommunication facilities and get membership of World Partners
 Association.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), the country's international
 telecom
 monopoly, has decided to amend its memorandum of association to
 include
 domestic long distance telephony as part of its service offerings.
 
 - VSNL has qualified for being rated Excellent amongst MOU-signing
 Public Sector Undertakings with GoI for the year based on
 achievements
 against targets set out in the MoU for that year.
 
 - In July, the Company signed an MOU for access to capacity in
 Project
 Oxygen, a high speed fiber optic cable network.
 
 - In September, the Company signed an MOU for participation in the
 South Africa and Far-East (SAFE) undersea optical fibre system.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has signed a Memorandum of
 Understanding (MOU) with Madhya Pradesh State Electronics
 Development
 Corporation Limited (Optel) on 24th April, at Bhopal to set up a
 Statelite Earth Station at Indore.
 
 - VSNL and Microsoft have together set up a Microsoft download
 server
 in India (http://www.vsnl.net.in/msdownload).  The server, the first
 of
 such mirror sites in India, mirrors Microsoft's software download
 site.
 
 - The telecom major Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) and IBM
 Global
 Services India have expanded the network services portfolio in India
 by
 introducing `IBM managed data network services (MDNS)' for remote
 access (IP dial) on IBM global network infrastructure.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL), the country's international
 telecom
 carrier, is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a
 
 billion (Rs.63,000 crore) submarine optical fibre telecom cable
 project.
 
 - The Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) on 16.07.98 launched sim
 cards for Inmarsat mini-M global mobile phone users.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd is set to tie up with home grown
 television
 channels like Sun TV, Enadu TV, Asianet, New Delhi Television TVI
 and
 Udaya for providing satellite uplinking.
 
 - The telecom commission is considering a plant to merge Videsh
 Sanchar
 Nigam Ltd (VSNL India International telecom carrier) into India
 Telecom, the proposed corporatised version of the department of
 telecom
 (DoT).
 
 - Public sector Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has launched
 India's most advanced earth station at, International Technology
 Park
 (ITPL), Bangalore to serve software companies operating from there.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited has awarded a contract to Siemens
 Public
 Communication Networks Limited for setting up a nationwide
 state-of-the-art data network, using digital cross-connect.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) introduced a new Internet dial-up
 service through high speed ISDN (integrated services digital
 network)
 lines in Bangalore.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has introduced a flexihour
 accounts
 scheme for Internet users, allowing its customers to upgrade form
 one
 slab to another.
 
 1999
 
  - The Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL) has conducted a Vision 2004
 study.
 
 - The Company provides Home Country Direct services, which permit a
 caller to speak to an operator in his home country directly and place
 a
 collect or charge call.
 
 - The Company provides an international E-mail service - GEMS 400,
 which permits subscribers to send E-mail both to other subscribers
 within India and to 242 public E-mail systems in 75 countries.
 
 - As on 31st March, the Company had switching capacity of 34200
 international telephone, 2386 telex and 128 telegraph terminations.
 
 - The capacity of International Voice Circuits has increased from
 966
 to 17922 as on 31st March.
 
 - The Company has introduced several international specialised and
 value added services in recent years and seeks to increase the
 portion
 of its revenues derived from such value-added services.
 
 - The Company seeks to enter into joint ventures with foreign
 companies
 to develop telecommunication projects to permit the Company to
 utilise
 its existing expertise and gain additional experience with potential
 strategic partners.
 
 - The Company and DoT entered into a licence agreement on 25th
 January,
 under which the Company was granted a licence to provide Internet
 access service in six cities on a non-exclusive basis.
 
 - International telecommunications provider Videsh Sanchar Nigam
 Limited (VSNL) will enter the national long distance telephony
 segment
 when it is opened up for competition in 2000.
 
 - VSNL, which is the second largest shareholder in ICO Global, a
 consortium of telecom operators, entered into a pre-launch agreement
 with ICO Global on Monday to pave the way for the setting up of a
 joint
 venture company.
 
 - VIDESH Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) and ICO Global Communications, the
 global mobile satellite communications company, signed the
 pre-launch
 agreement.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has launched an Internet Central Control
 Facility (ICCF) and a new Web Site.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has emerged as the top exporter
 for
 the year 1997-98, while Indian Oil Corporation, occupies the second
 spot, according to the annual Global magazine's survey of top
 exporters.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL), India's international
 telecommunications provider, has launched a number of Internet
 services, including a global Internet roaming services.
 
 - PowerGrid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) and Videsh Sanchar
 Nigam
 Ltd (VSNL) signed a memorandum of understanding on future
 cooperation
 in the area of telecommunications.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL) has tied up with Indian Overseas
 Bank (IOB) to extend Internet connections to subscribers over the
 counters of IOB in Mumbai.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has set up an internal committee
 to
 look into its proposed entry into domestic long-distance telephony
 (DLT).
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has tied up with ICICI Bank to
 provide the latter's Net-banking clients on-line registration and
 payment facility for taking Net connections.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) and Hughes Escorts Communication
 Ltd
 signed an agreement that would enable Hughes Escorts Communications
 to
 use the VSNL's Internet infrastructure.
 
 2000
 
  - The company has also launched an e-mail service exclusively for
 the media called mediapoint.enmail.com. this is to bring media
 professionals on one virtual platform, to hear their views and help
 the
 common man to give single point access to the media.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) is planning to set up an Internet
 consultancy division, which will offer technical consultancy to
 start-up Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) and Haryana Electronics
 Development
 Corporation Ltd (HARTRON) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
 to
 set up a high speed data communication facility with associated
 marketing services for data links, internet access and other value
 added services of VSNL.
 
 - The proposed VSNL-HARTRON project, is setting up of a high speed
 data
 communications facility to provide optical fibre and micro-wave
 connectivity between the electronics city and VSNL's international
 gateway based in Delhi.
 
 - The company has tied up with a Silicon Valley-based software
 company
 for the technology to manufacture Internet appliances including
 colour
 televisions (CTVs).
 
 - In March, the Company plans to install electronic data interchange
 facilities at Chennai, New Delhi and Calcutta and to upgrade and
 augment its existing electronic data interchange facilities at
 Mumbai.
 
 - The Company has signed an MoU with Indiainfo.com for a period of
 three years.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam the State-owned international telecom
 carrier,
 is planning to use foreign satellites to provide band-width to
 private
 internet service providers.  It has doubled its bandwidth capacity
 to
 300 Mbps.
 
 - A MoU for the year 2000-20001 has been signed between the
 Department
 of Telecom Services and the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited.
 
 - The Company is setting up a Standard-B earth station facility at
 Hyderabad, to enable the region to have better international
 telecommunications facilities.
 
 - The Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Antrix,
 the
 commercial arm of the Indian Space Reserach Organization for
 acquisition of satellite capacity in the Indian Ocean region.
 
 - The Company has signed an MoU with ISRO's commercial arm, Antrix
 Corporation, for acquisition of satellite capacity in the region.
 
 - The Company will convert its global depositary receipts into
 American
 Depositary Receipts ina one-for-one ratio.
 
 - The Company commissioned its roof-top Earth Station at P S G
 College
 of Technology in Coimbatore.
 
 - The Company will acquire an additional internet bandwidth in the
 current fiscal, bringing its total to 750 megabites from the present
 315 megabites.
 
 - The Department of Telecommunications has asked Videsh Sanchar
 Nigam
 Ltd to set up an exclusive website showing requirement and status of
 applications from private players for bandwidth.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd's., `monsoon package' introduced from
 June,
 for a period of two months has resulted in a spurt in internet
 connections in Calcutta.
 
 - The Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Yahoo!
 India to host the latter's servers at its facilities in Mumbai.
 
 - The Company has recommended a 1:1 bonus to its shareholders and
 proposed increasing the authorised share capital to Rs 250 crore
 from
 the existing Rs 100 crore.
 
 - The Company has become the first Indian Public Sector undertaking
 to
 list on the New York Stock Exchange as it began trading its American
 depository receipts under the ticker symbol VSL.
 
 - The Company revised the ratio of bonus shares to 2:1 -- two new
 shares for each existing share from the earlier recommended ratio of
 1:1.
 
 - VSNL and HDFC have jointly launched online renewal facility for
 Internet subscription in Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai, Pune
 and
 Bangalore.
 
 - VSNL has launched a 65-day Festive Fiesta for its Internet
 customers
 in the six cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta, Bangalore and
 Pune.
 
 - VSNL is set to enter the cellular service sector.
 
 - The Company will raise its bandwidth capacity to nearly one giga
 byte, to improve Internet infrastructure in the country.
 
 - Crisil has removed from rating watch, the FA rating assigned to
 the
 fixed deposit programme of SREI International Finance.
 
 - The Company has commissioned a new and improved stream of 155 mb
 international Internet bandwidth at its New Delhi gateway.
 
 - VSNL has launched high speed Internet access through Integrated
 Services Digital Network at its customer awareness centre in Videsh
 Sanchar Bhawan, Jalandhar.
 
 - The Company launched its first IT-node in Coimbatore after the
 grant
 of all-India license which permits VSNL to expand beyond the six
 cities
 licensed earlier.
 
 - SNL offers both basic and specialised value-added
 telecommunication
 services such as maritime mobile communications, e-mail, electronic
 data exchanges, leased lines, bureau fax tele-conferencing, radio
 photos, etc. It is an international company both in terms of the
 services it provides and its ownership. It has been constantly
 upgrading its infrastructure investing in switching and transmission
 facilities, new earth stations and gateways and mobile satellite
 communication networks. The compnay is also participating in
 ventures
 that provide quality services for multimedia applications to
 customers
 with the help of emerging Global Multimedia Satellite Systems.  
 
 2001 
 
 - The Company has commissioned Cisco's high-end gigabit switch
 routers
 to serve as important internet exchange points in the country.
 
 - The Company has issued Bonus Shares at the rate of 2:1.
 
 - The race for the 25 per cent stake in Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd is
 hotting up with telecom majors France Telecom, Essar and Singapore
 Telecom joining the likely-bidders list along with Reliance and
 Concert
 - joint venture between AT&T and British Telecom.
 
 - The Company is all set to launch direct to home service throughout
 the country by the end of this year.
 
 - The Company has marked out a capital expenditure of Rs 2,000 crore
 for 2001-02 which will be broadly allocated among it's
 direct-to-homeand domestic longdistance projects as well as
 acquisition
 of extra bandwidth among other areas.
 
 - The Company has entered into an agreement with Teleglobe, a
 subsidiary of the Canadian Telecom major BCE, for assured revenues in
 a
 bid to corner some of the global traffic between Teleglobe and other
 carriers in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
 - S K Gupta, chairman and managing director of Videsh Sanchar Nigam
 Ltd
 (VSNL), has been elected as one of the directors on the board of
 Intelsat.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam wants to reward its existing shareholders by
 declaring a 1,000 per cent dividend.
 
 2002 
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has informed that Shri Subodh Bharagava
 an
 independent part-time-non-official Director has resigned from the
 post
 of Directorship from the Board of VSNL and ceases to be Director
 with
 effect from January 17, 2002.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has informed BSE that Shri Ashok
 Wadhwa an independent (part-time non-official) Director has resigned
 from the post of directorship from the Board of VSNL and ceases to
 be
 Director with effect from January 23, 2002.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has informed that Shri Rakesh Kumar,
 Sr.Dy
 Director General (ML), DoT has been appointed as Government Director
 on
 the Board of VSNL.
 
 - GOI signs share purchase agreement for divestment of stake in VSNL
 with M/s Panatone Finvest Ltd.
 
 - The Board of Directors of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd was
 reconstituted
 as below:
 
 Shri Ratan Tata Chairman
 Shri S K Gupta Managing Director
 Shri N Srinath Director (Operations)
 Smt Sadhana Dikshit Director
 Shri Rakesh Kumar Director
 Padmashri N R Narayana Murthy Director.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has informed that Smt Sadhana Dikshit has
 resigned from the post of Director of the Company and ceases to be
 Director.
 
 - In Feb. 2002 the company has informed that, the Tata Group has
 been
 declared the successful bidder in the disinvestment process
 initiated
 by the Government of India (GOI). Accordingly GOI has entered into
 share purchase agreement with M/s. Panatone Finvest, as investing
 vehicle for the four Tata Group Companies as its principals viz.
 Tata
 Sons, Tata Power, Tata Iron & Steel Company and Tata Industries for
 transfer of 25% stake in VSNL at Rs 202 per share.
 
 -Y S Bhave & Subodh Bhargava appointed on the Board of VSNL.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has appointed Mr Suresh Krishna on the
 Board with effect from May 24, 2002 as part-time Independent
 Director.
 
 -The Tata group has appointed two of its group executives -- Ishaat
 Hussain, director (finance), Tata Sons, and Kishore A Chaukar,
 managing director, Tata Industries -- as additional directors on the
 board of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
 
 -At the Board Meeting the Board also appointed Mr Vivek Singhal and
 Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala as Additional Directors (Independent
 Directors) on the Board of VSNL w e f from the conclusion of 16th AGM
 held on August 20, 2002.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has informed BSE that  the Chairman Mr R N
 Tata informed that Mr S K Gupta the present Managing Director of the
 Company on his superannuation on September 30, 2002 from VSNL will be
 appointed by Tatas as their senior executive for a period of five
 years and will be deputed to VSNL for a period of upto two years as
 its Managing Director.
 
 2003 
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL) signs an interconnect agreement with
 Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL)
 
 -Increases dial-up net access tariffs by 5 to 13 pc
 
 -Re-emerges as the country's largest consumer internet service
 provider (ISP) in terms of subscriber numbers
 
 -NSE terminates VSNL from Futures &Options list
 
 -Signs interconnect pact with BSNL &  MTNL
 
 -Invests Rs 350 cr in Tata Teleservices Ltd.
 
 -Introduces VRS to its employees
 
 -Receives in-principle approval from Board of Investment as also the
 Telecom Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka for formation of a company
 in Sri Lanka for undertaking international telecommunication
 activities
 
 -A new company named VSNL Lanka Ltd. incorporated on June 12, 2003
 under Sri Lanka's Companies Act. The company applies for its
 certificate for Commencement of Business under the applicable Sri
 Lankan Regulations
 
 -Gets six cellular operators across the country crossed over from
 Bharti for routing the international long-distance calls made by
 their subscribers
 
 -VSNL Lanka gets license to offer ILD services in Sri Lanka
 
 -Forms a wholly owned subsidiary in USA (VNSL AMerica Inc.) in the
 State of Delaware
 
 -Acquires the assets and network of an international Internet
 protocol-virtual private network (IP-VPN) solution provider in the
 USA
 
 -Ties up with  AT&T for corporate networking
 
 -950 employees opt for VRS
 
 -VSNL Lanka Ltd (VLL) enters into an agreement with the Board of
 Investment, Sri Lanka
 
 -Emerges as the topper in the list of all-India Internet Service
 Providers (ISP) in terms of number of outstanding connections
 
 -ADR holders file class action suit over  VSNL on the issue of the
 sharp erosion of their stake value
 
 -Writes off its Rs 9.2 crore investment in the joint venture TVC
 India Pvt Ltd.
 
 -LIC holding in the company crosses 5%, settles at 5.09%
 
 -VSNL ranked 3rd Best ISP provider in Asia and 29th In World by the
 England-based Network Specialist Netconfigs
 
 -VSNL inks Lease pact with Hong Kong-based Company
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has informed that Mr YS Bhave has resigned
 from the post of Director of VSNL and ceases to be Director wef
 December 8, 2003.
 
 -VSNL Launches 'Tata Indicom Total Internet' - An Integrated Net
 Solution
 
 2004
 
 -VSNL unveils prepaid international calling card
 
 -BSNL inks pact with VSNL for sharing ILD infrastructure
 
 -VSNL embarks on due diligence of DishnetDSL
 
 -VSNL launches call card
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has signed an agreement with DishnetDSL to
 acquire the Internet businesses of the Sterling Infotech group
 company for Rs 270 crore.
 
 -VSNL floats wholly owned subsidiary in Singapore, VSNL Singapore PTE
 Ltd, to facilitate the landing of cable in that country
 
 -Core Projects enters into MoU with VSNL
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has entered into a memorandum of
 understanding with a company called Core Projects & Technologies Ltd
 to arrive at a definitive contract document to jointly offer
 customers fleet management services.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has achieved the distinction of
 being the first telecom service provider globally to achieve the TL
 9000 Quality Management System Certification.
 
 -The Bharti group  finalised a Rs 500-crore deal to share its
 national long-distance (STD) network with VSNL in a first-of-its-kind
 accord between two top telecom service providers in a bid to optimise
 capacities in the NLD segment.
 
 
 - Internet gateway and services provider, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
 (VSNL) has signed a Right to Use (RoU) agreement to deploy mobile
 telephony major, Bharti Tele-Ventures' existing National Long
 Distance (NLD) backbone.
 
 - VSNL opens Global Offices In US, UK, Hong Kong
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has tied up with Tata Teleservices
 Ltd (TTSL) to launch STD/ISD prepaid calling cards under the brand
 name Hello Duniya.
 
 -VSNL establishes International headquarters in Singapore
 
 -Launches its pre-paid broadband initiatives under two plans
 'volume-based' and 'time-based', which would be offered through the
 Tata Indicom brand
 
 - Joins hands with Speedera Networks for Internet infrastructure
 services for the Indian market.
 
 -VSNL unveils Tata Indicom Global Calling Card on september 29, 2004
 
 -VSNL & AMD launches the personal internet communicator on october
 28,2004
 
 2005
 
 - Delists equity shares of the Company from The Calcutta Stock
 Exchange Association Ltd (CSE).
 
 -VSNL America joins CompTel / ASCENT
 
 -VSNL UK launches Wholesale Voice Service in Europe
 
 -Ratan Tata quits as VSNL chief
 
 -VSNL introduces 'Software Services on Demand'
 
 -VSNL completes acquisition of Tyco Global Network a state-of-the-art
 under sea cable network that spans 60,000 kms (37,280 miles) and the
 continents of North America, Europe and Asia
 
 -VSNL teams up with Bharti to share undersea cables
 
 -VSNL slahes bandwidth prices to US, Singapore
 
 -VSNL joins hands for fixed line telephony operator in SA
 
 -VSNL - SNO receives PSTS license
 
 2006
 
 -VSNL's Executive Director N Srinath named Telecom Asia's CEO of the
 year
 
 2007
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has announced that leading
 international telecom service providers, Etisalat, Saudi Telecom,
 Telecom Egypt, Telecom Italia Sparkle and the Company have entered
 into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work jointly on the
 construction of a new submarine cable (I-ME-WE) linking India, the
 Middle East and Western Europe.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has appointed Mr. N Srinath as the
 Managing Director of the Company for a period of five years and the
 Chief Executive Officer of the VSNL Group of Companies, with effect
 from February 02, 2007.
 
 - VSNL joins hand with Teleglobe.
 
 - VSNL unveils WiMax services in Bangalore.
 
 - VSNL rolls out managed hosting, storage solution.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd has informed that Mr. S Ramadorai, CEO &
 Managing Director, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd has been appointed
 on the Board of the Company as Additional Director by way of Board
 Resolution dated June 28, 2007.
 
 - Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has informed that Mr. A K
 Srivastava, DDG(AS), DoT, has been appointed as permanent
 (non-retiring) director on the Board of the Company with effect from
 July 31, 2007.
 
 - VSNL Launches Next Generation Dedicated Global Ethernet Service for
 The Australia Market.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has announced the launch of
 trueroots, an International Calling Service that allows people from
 South Asia residing in the United Kingdom to reliably, securely arid
 economically reach out and connect with their family and friends.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL)Ltd has appointed Mr. A R Gandhi as
 Additional Director with effect from September 10, 2007.
 
 -Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL) has informed that, Mr. H P Mishra,
 DDG (WPF), DoT, has been appointed as Director on the Board of the
 Company as permanent (non-retiring) director w.e.f. October 22, 2007
 vice Mr. Pankaj Agrawala.