IndiaRetailBiz

BSNL, the contry’s government owned largest telecom player, is looking at modern retail chains to sell its products and services. This is extension of the company’s aggressive marketing strategy. BSNL will enter into retailing agreements with the retail chains or leaders of consortium of retail chains that operate at least a 50 retail outlets across the country and have achieved an annual turnover of minimum Rs 50 crore for the past two years.

The agreements to be entered into for an initial period of two years will be for sale of sell of SIMs, instruments and other telecom products as well as telecom services being offered by the company across the country except in Mumbai and Delhi. Interestinglly, in these metro cities MTNL, a listed company of the government, is offering similar services. It would be possible to extend the validity period of the retail agreements in tune with the norms fixed by the company.

The successful retailers or their consortia partners will receive basic commission and discounts ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 1,500, says a PTI report. The retailers while offering the products and services will be required to adhere to norms of verifying customer ID, etc, set out by the government. The licencee retailers will have to obtain duly signed, filled-in application forms together with identity proofs with advance payments for products and services from the customers for submission to the company.

BSNL, together with MTNL which was carved out a few years ago as a separate listed company, is the oldest and the largest telecom player of the country with highest number of landline telephone connections and most externsive footprint of services spread across the country.