Broadband
MTNL to invest Rs 4 billion for broadband platform, Ericsson wins bid as systems integrator
MUMBAI: Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. is getting ready to play the triple game – video streaming, voice services and high-speed Internet access.
The state-run organisation has selected multinational giant Ericsson as the systems integrator to build the platform, while rejecting seven other bidders including Alcatel, UTStarcom and HFCL.
MTNL plans to invest Rs 4 billion over the next one year as it targets 14 lakh broadband customers in Mumbai and Delhi. In the first phase, the company will invest Rs 1 billion within six months. “We are targeting 2 lakh ports each in Mumbai and Delhi within six months. We expect to launch our service by December-end or mid-January,” says MTNL executive director, Mumbai, RL Dube.
For the second phase, MTNL will pump in Rs 3 billion and install 1 million ports. “The pipe will be ready. We will offer high-speed Internet on our own. For content, we will have a franchisee model,” says Dube.
Ericsson quoted the lowest cost in a tender floated by MTNL. “We decided on Ericsson two weeks back. The other bidders were quoting higher. ITI Ltd. participated along with Alcatel but we rejected them on technical grounds as they were offering old models,” says Dube.
Unlike state-owned BSNL which went for the franchisee model, MTNL opted to directly invest in building the systems platform for triple play. BSNL had selected Bangalore-based I-Spatial to provide broadband services on its network. The experiment has not been successful and I-Spatial’s investments are locked.
“We are in a position to spend money ourselves. The investment required is not huge. Besides, the franchisee model is not working,” says Dube.
MTNL plans to provide a wide range of broadband services using its copper loop network. Several other telecom operators have also announced their plans to foray into triple play.
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
