Tata Indicom announces retail expansion plans   

CHENNAI: Telecom-service provider Tata Teleservices, has announced major
expansion plans to enhance its retail presence in India by investing Rs 80—100
crores. 

It plans to increase its outlets from the current 2700 to 3500 by March 2007.
Under the plan, TTSL will also be launching new outlets in city malls, high
streets, kiosks and super markets. 

The company also announced attaining a remarkable milestone by entering The
Limca Book of Records 2007 edition for being the First telecom operator in India
to inaugurate 100 True Value Shoppes across the nation in a single day, out of
which 25 per cent will be established in the rural areas across the country. 

Talking about the company's entry into the Limca Book of Records, Ravinder
Taneja, COO, Tata Teleservices (Tamil Nadu) said: “It is truly a momentous
occasion for us to achieve this path breaking record and entering the
prestigious Limca Book of Records. We are grateful to our customers nationwide
for their unflinching support in our service and for helping us achieve this
feat. We will continue to ensure easy accessibility and the offering of the best
products and services to our customers across the nation.” 

Further elaborating on TTSL's retail thrust, Ravinder said: “We have
identified enhanced retail presence as a corner stone of our strategy to double
our customer base from the existing 11 million to 18 million by next year. We
will be investing Rs.80-100 crores to increase our retail presence in the
country by over 80 per cent in this financial year. We are optimistic and
confident that our customers will continue to enjoy an exclusive experience of
our product offerings and enhanced customer service at these outlets across the
nation.”

The retail expansion is aimed towards increasing penetration across the
nation and ensuring easy accessibility to the company's products and services.
TTSL outlets will cover over 100 cities and towns, spanning semi-urban and rural
areas as well.