MAM
Nokia and Bharti sign $125 million contract for service expansion
MUMBAI: Bharti Tele-Ventures has chosen Nokia to expand its managed GSM/GPRS/Edge networks in eight circles for a contract worth $ 125 million.
As per the contract, Nokia will provide managed services and expand Bharti’s Airtel networks in the circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra (including Goa), Gujarat, Bihar (including Jharkhand) and Orissa over a three-year period.
Additionally, Nokia has also been mandated to provide managed services and expand Airtel networks in the three other circles of Kolkata, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
Nokia’s managed capacity expansion will further help Airtel cover more than 5,000 towns up from 2,700 across India. The phased expansion into these towns and villages starts immediately and is likely to be completed by March 2006.
The expansion will double Bharti’s network capacity, providing reduced congestion, seamless coverage and enhanced quality, to all Bharti customers. As part of the contract, Nokia will continuously deliver radio and core network equipment and services based on Bharti’s capacity requirements, delivering a cost-efficient rollout of on-demand capacity.
Nokia will also be deploying its Connect GSM Solution for expanding network coverage in rural areas in a cost effective manner. This includes solutions for radio access, core network, network management systems and services that will reduce the total cost of ownership for Bharti and allow it to optimally target the low average revenue per user customer.
Bharti Tele-Ventures president mobility Manoj Kohli said, “To sustain India’s economic growth, it is imperative to take the benefits of mobile communications to the rural consumers. We at Bharti realise that and have embarked on a significant network expansion exercise into rural areas. Nokia with its cutting edge technology and optimised network solutions for rural areas will help us deliver economically viable services to the low revenue consumers.”
Nokia Networks country director India Ashish Chowdhary said, “Nokia is proud to collaborate with Bharti on its initiative to take mobile services to rural India. Our extensive managed services capability combined with our comprehensive and high quality product portfolio makes a strong business case for Bharti to provide affordable mobile services to these rural consumers. This expansion reiterates Nokia’s commitment to India, fulfilling our promise to bring high-quality equipment and services to provide world class mobile services to the Indian consumers.”
In 2004, Nokia had signed a $ 275 million contract with Bharti for supply of equipment for two years and for managed services for three years, across the five circles.
Nokia has contracted managed services with 34 clients in 28 countries, and has provided operating services for over 20 operators globally.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
