The Hindu Business Line : Airtel targets NRIs in US with `cheaper' calling service

`CALL HOME': Mr Manoj Kohli (left), President, Bharti Airtel, and Mr Vinod Sawhny, Joint President, Enterprise Services, at the launch of Airtel's `CallHome' service across the US, in the Capital on Thursday. - Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Dec. 7

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced the launch of its inbound international calling service aimed at 2.5 million non-resident Indians based in the US. The service called Airtel CallHome will enable users in the US to call their loved ones back in India at 7.9 cents a minute. Subscribers will have log on to the Airtel Web site www.Airtelcallhome.com, create their personal account and download the calling service online.

While Airtel claimed that the service was 40 per cent cheaper than other options available in the market, there are phone cards available on the Internet that offers US to India calls for as low as 5.5 cents a minute. Airtel service is, however, cheaper than other international long distance operators such as Reliance and VSNL which is offering US to India calls at 12.9 and 14.5 cents a minute respectively.

Commenting on the launch, Mr Manoj Kohli, President, Bharti Airtel Ltd, said, "We have over 2.5 million non-resident Indians in the US who make over 450 million minutes of calls a month to India ."

Mr Vinod Sawhny, Joint President, Enterprise Services, Bharti Airtel Ltd, said on the occasion, "We make our first foray into the US market with Airtel CallHome service. The Enterprise Services SBU was created to address the needs of customers in India through the Corporates division as well as across continents through our Carriers division"

Available initially on pre-paid option, the payments will be accepted through credit card on the Web portal through a secure payment gateway.

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