Kiran Rathee is an Assistant Editor at The Economic Times. He specializes in the telecommunications industry, focusing on themes such as telecom transportation and mobility, consumer tech, and banking and finance. Kiran's insights have been featured in prominent publications including Cigalah Group and Gadgets Now, as well as multiple articles in The Economic Times.
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India (National)
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Kiran Rathee's coverage revolves around national telecom and technology developments in India, with a focus on government announcements, legal policy regulations, and industry-specific press releases. To effectively reach out to Kiran for potential coverage or commentary opportunities, consider offering insights related to the Telecom sector in India.
Given the nature of his articles and attributes of his coverage, pitches could include expert opinions from industry insiders regarding new Telecom Act-related rules and their impact on telcos and OTT players in India. Additionally, providing analysis or predictions about spectrum auctions or satellite communication trends specific to the Indian market would likely be relevant to Kiran's reporting.
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By: Kiran Rathee
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has instructed telecom operators to promptly implement the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service on mobile phones to curb spam and scam calls. Trials are ongoing, and its implementation is challenging for 2G users. Concerns about privacy and existing caller ID apps have been raised by the telco and handset industries.
By: Kiran Rathee
Reliance Jio partners with Polygon Labs to introduce Web3 and blockchain technologies to its platform. This collaboration aims to offer Jio's 450 million users enhanced digital experiences, improved data control, and secure transactions. Polygon's blockchain capabilities will be integrated into Jio's services for scalability, speed, and personalized solutions.
The Union cabinet has approved the Department of Telecommunications' plan to refarm 1100 MHz spectrum across various bands for future auctions, worth approximately ₹5 lakh crore. This move aims to meet the infrastructure needs for 5G and potentially 6G services, as industries demand increased mid-band spectrum availability.
By: Kiran Rathee
The Indian government considers waiving 50% interest and 100% penalties on AGR dues for telcos like Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel. This potential relief, offering over ₹1 lakh crore in financial aid, aims to maintain competition in the telecom sector, impacted by the 2019 Supreme Court ruling.
By: Kiran Rathee
Under the proposed relief, the AGR dues of Vi may come down by over Rs 52,000 crore; for financially robust Bharti Airtel, by nearly Rs 38,000
India's mobile phone exports reached a record $20.4 billion in 2024, driven by strong overseas shipments from Apple and Samsung, marking a 44% increase from 2023. Apple's exports accounted for 65% of the total, while Samsung contributed 20%. The production linked incentive (PLI) scheme launched in 2021 significantly boosted exports and job creation in the mobile phone industry.
By: Kiran Rathee
Apple led India's robust export performance with a 65% share of total overseas shipments. Samsung contributed 20% with 15% coming from Indian firms and some re-exports of mobile handsets.
The government has been planning a financial relief package of over ₹82,000 crore for non-telecom firms impacted by the Supreme Court's 2019 AGR verdict. This package, to be possibly announced in the budget, will offer a waiver of 50% on interest and complete waiver on penalties and interest on penalties, aiding firms with unaffordable dues and sustaining their viability.
Telecom operators, including Reliance Jio and Airtel, have introduced voice and SMS-only tariff packs following a directive from Trai. However, these packs are just about 2% cheaper than earlier data-bundled plans, and low data users may face 7-12% higher costs. This could slightly raise telcos' average revenue per user.
By: Kiran Rathee
Overall, there could be slight improvement in average revenue per user (Arpu) for telcos as voice-only packs will be few takers and some bundled offerings have become more expensive, they said.
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