Hutchison Essar
| Subsidiary (In talks to merge with Idea Cellular) | |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Services |
Mobile telephony Wireless broadband |
| Revenue | ₹425 billion (US$6.3 billion) (2015) |
| Members | 200.47 million (August 2016) |
| Parent | Vodafone Group |
| Website | www |
Vodafone India is the second largest mobile network operator in India by subscriber base, after Airtel with a market share of 18.42%. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It has approximately 200 million customers as of August 2016. It offers both prepaid and postpaid GSM cellular phone coverage throughout India with better presence in the metros.
Vodafone India provides services on basis of 900 MHz and 1800 MHz digital GSM technology. Vodafone India launched 3G services in the country in the January–March quarter of 2011 and plans to spend up to $500 million within two years on its 3G networks. It has launched its 4G services in India starting from Kochi in Kerala in December 2015 and plans to expands its network to various other cities in the country.
Hutchison Max Telecom Ltd. (HMTL), a joint venture between Hutchison Whampoa and the Max Group, was established on 21 February 1992. The licence to operate in Mumbai (then Bombay) circle was awarded to Hutchison Max by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in November 1994. The cellular service branded "Max Touch" was launched the same year. Hutchison Max entered into the Delhi telecom circle in December 1999, the Kolkata circle in July 2000 and the Gujarat circle in September 2000. Licences for these circles had initially been awarded by the DoT in 1994, 1997 and 1995 respectively. Between 1992 and 2006, Hutchison acquired interests in all 23 mobile telecom circles of India.
HMTL rebranded "Max Touch" as Orange from 14 February 2000. France Telecom (now Orange S.A.) acquired the worldwide rights for the Orange brand from "Vodafone" in May 2000, and planned to enforce its ownership of the brand in India. They made an offer to purchase part of Hutchison's India operations, but Hutchison India declined to sell. Hutchison retained the rights over the Orange brand in India, but had to pay a royalty to France Telecom. France Telecom left the Indian market in December 2004.
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Wikipedia