BUSINESS
Samsung, Apple rule in $3-bn smartphone haul of 11-day festive sales
Smartphone brands collectively sold devices worth $3 billion during the initial 11-day phase of the 2024 festive season
BUSINESS
Amazon's Project Kuiper key hirings begin as it awaits DoT, In-SPACe nod
Amazon, through its subsidiary Amazon Kuiper Services India Private Limited, aims to enter India's satellite-based broadband market. It will compete with Elon Musk-owned SpaceX, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Orbit Connect India, which is a joint venture between Jio Platforms and the Luxembourg-based satellite communication company, SES.
BUSINESS
Vodafone Idea in talks with DoT for removal of bank guarantee norms
The company clarified after several media outlets reported that the DoT issued a notice to the telco to pay bank guarantees
BUSINESS
Apple plans 4 more retail stores in India, officially begins making iPhone 16 Pro, Pro Max
Analysts suggested that Apple's retail expansion was prompted by the success of its two stores in Delhi and Mumbai, which significantly contributed to the company's overall sales in the country
BUSINESS
Beyond smartphones: Dixon, Optiemus, Bhagwati eye telecom gear to drive growth
EMS companies are expanding into telecom and networking products for growth. The shift aligns with the government’s aim to make India a global telecom equipment hub through the PLI scheme
BUSINESS
Cancel licence of Chinese brands OnePlus, iQoo, Poco: Mobile retailers urge Centre
All India Mobile Retailers Association (AMIRA) have sought intervention of commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman
BUSINESS
Sony India eyes Rs10,000-crore revenue milestone driven by TV, digital imaging businesses, says MD Sunil Nayyar
At its peak in FY15, Sony India's revenue was a little over Rs 11,000 crore. India is the fourth largest market for Sony globally after the US, China and Japan
BUSINESS
Vodafone Idea bets big on gaming, content to widen 4G subscriber base
The telco expects these initiatives to boost data capacity by 15 percent, attract new 4G customers, and increase ARPU, chief marketing officer Avneesh Khosla has said
BUSINESS
Vodafone Idea 4G/5G deal: Nokia says to increase market share; replacing Huawei, ZTE in key circles
In 2019, Nokia won nine circles from Vodafone Idea, while Ericsson bagged eight. Chinese gear vendors Huawei and ZTE bagged seven and five circles, respectively. All five circles of ZTE were shared with another vendor.
BUSINESS
Amazon India ramps up investments to expand operations network for festive season demand: Abhinav Singh, VP
To meet the heightened demand for festival goods, the number of sellers has increased from 14 lakh to 16 lakh in the past few months. It has also onboarded over 110,000 seasonal job opportunities, including direct and indirect jobs, across cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai.
BUSINESS
Karnataka wants Apple and its partners to expand manufacturing ecosystem beyond iPhones
Apple's partner Tata Electronics makes iPhones in Karnataka at the Wistron factory it acquired last year. The factory has been producing iPhones in the state since 2017. Foxconn, a more prominent Apple partner by volume, and Pegatron make iPhones in Tamil Nadu.
BUSINESS
Telcos must shift to authorisation regime after licence expiry, consultation paper on satellite spectrum soon: Trai
Trai’s recommendations came after the Telecommunications Act of 2023, which paved the way for replacing the present licensing regime with an authorisation mechanism.
BUSINESS
Airtel's Vittal seeks regulatory oversight of WhatsApp, other messaging apps to combat spam
Airtel has launched an AI-powered spam detection solution for its customers to tackle pesky calls and messages. The free-of-charge facility will be available from September 26
COMPANIES
Airtel launches India's first Al-powered network solution for spam detection
A first-of-its-kind solution by a telecom service provider in the country, the tool will alert customers in real-time to all suspected spam calls and SMSes
BUSINESS
Centre diverting semiconductor investments using political influence: Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge
Kharge expressed frustration over the lack of a level playing field for Karnataka in the semiconductor sector, stating that while the state contributes over 10% to India’s electronics manufacturing output, it is being sidelined in favour of other states.
BUSINESS
Govt assessing impact of SC’s rejection of telcos’ curative petition: Telecom Minister Scindia
Scindia previously told Moneycontrol the government wouldn't interfere in Vodafone Idea's operations, in which the Centre owns a 23.8 percent stake.
TELECOM
Vodafone Idea in talks with Centre on AGR dues; expects debt funding to conclude in next 7-8 weeks: Akshaya Moondra
Moondra was speaking during an investors call a few days after Supreme Court rejected 19 petitions filed by 19 telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, for the re-calculation of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues
BUSINESS
Vodafone Idea seals $3.6-bn network deal. What does it mean for users and vendors?
The deal aims to revitalise the company and boost its infrastructure, fuelling hope for various stakeholders, including equipment vendors and its subscribers
BUSINESS
Vodafone Idea inks $3.6 bn 4G network expansion, 5G rollout deal with Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung
The company has continued with its existing long-term partners, Nokia and Ericsson, and has onboarded Samsung as a new partner.
BUSINESS
Vodafone Idea sees no impact of SC ruling on debt-funding, capex plans
The SC ruling could delay the telco’s debt-funding plans, hinder capex execution and lead to further market share losses, analysts say.
BUSINESS
Domestic telecom gear makers kick off 5G trials for MTNL using BSNL's 700 MHz spectrum
As part of a public-private partnership, BSNL (MTNL) invited Indian companies to deploy and showcase their 5G solutions in their live operational network. For these trials, BSNL is providing its spectrum, towers, power supply, and infrastructure support for equipment housing.
BUSINESS
Electronics industry to discuss '$500 billion by 2030' goal with PMO, FM; flag issues facing Chinese firms
The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association plans to take discuss at length the ways to enhance India's manufacturing capabilities while emphasising the need for Chinese firms in building a robust ecosystem
BUSINESS
Chip design sops may extend to large Indian firms, but DLI 2.0 unlikely to cover foreign MNCs
The government allocated Rs 1,000 crore for DLI 1.0 to provide financial incentives and infrastructure support over five years for developing and deploying semiconductor designs for integrated circuits, chipsets, and system-on-chip
BUSINESS
Gorilla glass maker Corning doubles down on India, eyes semiconductor, aerospace & defence industries
Next year, Corning will begin making cover glasses for mobile at its Chennai facility and vials for injections at its Hyderabad unit. It is also in talks with companies in the semiconductor industry to provide glass for lasers, direction systems
