iWorld
HFCL Infotel to launch consumer VoIP offering
MUMBAI: HFCL Infotel Ltd. (HITL), the private telephony operator in Punjab, is launching niche consumer Voice over IP (VoIP) service in the country. The company has associated with the US-based Vistula Communications Services for the initiative.
According to an official statement, HITL is expecting to launch the Vistula-enabled VoIP service in Q1 2006. The system will be fully hosted and managed by Vistulaa, a global supplier of flexible and reliable services to major telecommunications carriers, cable operators and Internet Service Providers.
Under the terms of the agreement, Vistula will integrate its V-Cube(TM) VoIP platform with HITL’s network, giving HITL a turn-key consumer VoIP service to market to retail and business clients. Additionally Vistula will be providing HITL with a pre-paid calling card solution which will give customers the ability to easily pay for international calls from virtually any computer terminal. The cards will be available at various retail outlets across Punjab initially and subsequently to other markets across India, the release adds.
“The combination of Vistula’s proven success in the VoIP industry, the fact that we can expect to launch the service within weeks of signing the contract and the calling card solution, which we believe has a great potential in India, were the most exciting propositions for us in choosing Vistula,” said HITL chairman Mahendra Nahata . “With Vistula’s help we’ll be able to bring the first niche VoIP service of its kind to India that will certainly attract customers both domestically and internationally. We are confident of an excellent customer response to this service which will be initially marketed to more than 300,000 of HITL’s already large subscriber base in Punjab.”
Vistula’s V-Cube(TM) based system will provide HITL with a customer web portal, soft-phone downloads and full VoIP on-net and off-net capabilities. In addition, V-Cube’s new billing capabilities will also integrate seamlessly with HITL’s existing billing platforms. Vistula will be building and managing the system for HITL as well as providing them with round the clock support.
“India’s VoIP market is valued at nearly $2.8 billion, and by fully leveraging our V-Cube(TM) platform, HITL will be well positioned to capture a sizeable chunk of this underserved market,” Vistula Communications chairman and CEO Rupert Galliers-Pratt said. “This project with HITL is the latest in a string of major global deals and effectively supports our position as one of the leading suppliers of VoIP services and solutions to major carriers and Internet Service Providers around the world.”
iWorld
Jio IPO faces delay as India yet to clear listing rule changes
Proposed rule change allows mega IPOs to float just 2.5 per cent
MUMBAI: The Indian government’s delay in formalising changes to listing rules may derail the targeted timeline for the initial public offering (IPO) of Jio Platforms, the digital arm of Reliance Industries controlled by billionaire Mukesh Ambani.
According to media reports, Reliance is awaiting formal notification of regulatory amendments before appointing investment bankers and filing a draft IPO prospectus. The company is now aiming to submit the draft prospectus before April, depending on when the government issues the notification.
Jio, which owns India’s largest wireless operator, is widely seen as one of the crown jewels of Ambani’s business empire. Its listing, the first public offering of a major Reliance unit in nearly two decades, could become the country’s biggest ever IPO.
Investment bankers have proposed a valuation of as much as $170 billion for the company. Even the minimum stake sale could raise roughly $4.3 billion, potentially placing Jio among India’s most valuable listed companies.
Ambani had earlier said that Reliance was targeting a listing of Jio in the first half of 2026, a plan first outlined in 2019 with a five-year timeline. In 2020, global technology groups Meta Platforms and Alphabet invested more than $10 billion combined in the company.
The delay stems from pending regulatory changes approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India in September. The amendments allow companies with a post-issue market capitalisation exceeding Rs 5 trillion (about $55 billion) to float as little as 2.5 per cent of equity in an IPO, compared with the current 5 per cent minimum.
Such changes are expected to enable mega listings, including potential offerings by Jio and the National Stock Exchange of India. However, the reforms still require formal notification from the government.
Meanwhile, the National Stock Exchange is moving ahead with plans to raise as much as $2.5 billion through its own IPO and has recently invited banks to pitch for roles in the offering.
