From VSNL to Tata Play: Ratan Tata’s Telecom Journey

It's been widely discussed how, throughout his more than three decades as chairman, Tata diversified the company's operations into industries like retail and aviation to build the Tata Group into the multinational behemoth it is today. Nevertheless, not much is mentioned about how Ratan Tata's leadership of the Tata Group revolutionised the Indian telecom industry. In addition to launching residential broadband services across the nation, the Tata Group, which began as Tata Teleservices and eventually evolved into Tata Communications and Tata Sky, also made strides in the international submarine cable network, emerging as a major participant in the global communications network.

In the message breaking the news of passing away of Ratan Tata, the man behind the Tata Group, N Chandrasekaran, the Chairman of Tata Sons, stated, "It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr. Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation." Tata passed away on October 9 at the age of 86.

Mourning the death of Ratan Tata, K Krithivasan, MD & CEO, Tata Consultancy Services said, “With deep sorrow, we mourn the passing of Mr. Ratan Naval Tata, an extraordinary individual whose life and legacy will always be a guiding light for Tata Consultancy Services. His wisdom, compassion, and commitment to uplifting the lives of millions, made him revered across the world.

His remarkable leadership, marked by a unique blend of humility and confidence, guided TCS through transformative global expansions, with a deep sense of service to the communities we operate in and the values we cherish. He had a rare gift for making those around him feel valued and heard, earning the admiration and respect of all who had the privilege of knowing him. His approach to leadership, paired with his genuine care for people, has left an indelible mark on every one of us. All my colleagues at TCS and I will remain forever inspired by him as we carry forward his vision.”

As we say goodbye to the legendary head of the Tata Group, let us dive into how he contributed to the revolution of the Indian telecom industry:

The Beginnning

The Indian government established Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL), a multinational communications corporation, in 1986. The corporation, which held a monopoly in the telecom industry in the 1990s, gained notoriety in 1995 when it introduced India's first internet package to the general public. After being finally purchased by the Tata Group, VSNL changed its name to Tata Communications in 2008.

The business built a global fibre optic cable network beneath the ocean's surface in 2012. Currently ranked among the top five IP providers globally, Tata Communications Global Network provides network access to over 190 countries.  

Tata Communications

It currently provides voice and data transmission services both domestically and internationally, as well as managing hosting, transponder leasing, television uplinking, mobile global roaming and signalling, and other value-added services. It also sells and leases bandwidth on underwater cable systems.

The Tata Group entered the Indian telecom service market under Tata's direction. Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) declared in 2008 that Tata Indicom would be the brand name under which it would offer telecom services in India. The business became Tata Docomo after a Japanese telecom company acquired a 26% stake in it later in the year. 

In 1992, the company established a benchmark in Intelsat Business Service, a dedicated satellite-based service that offers fast and high-quality data circuits on a point-to-point basis through strategically placed earth stations close to the customers' premises. Additionally, the company entered the mobile communications era by launching its own Land Earth Station (LES) in Arvi, situated near Pune. Inmarsat-C, a service that allows messages to be transmitted through small portable terminals, and video conferencing, both domestically and internationally, through studios situated at the company's international gateways in Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, and Chennai, were introduced during the period of 1993. The Concert Packet Service (CPS) was introduced for Indian clients in 1994 through a partnership between the firm and British Telecom, UK. 

The Tata Group ventured into the ICT industry under the direction of Tata. In 1995, Tata Teleservices Limited was established as an ICT (information and communication technology) provider, offering internet connectivity to Indian enterprises. With a fibre optic network reach of more than 1.3 lakh km, it currently offers connection, collaboration, cloud, SaaS, security, and IoT services in more than 60 Indian cities.

Contribution to Internet

In addition to being India's leading commercial provider of Internet access, the firm began offering Internet access services in August 1995 and offered Internet access in Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore, and Pune. A Standard A Intelsat earth station is established by the business at Halisahar, Kolkata, and a second one is set up in Korattur, Chennai.The business signed the Fibre Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) Construction and Maintenance Agreement in 1996. The company was the first private company in the nation to introduce 3G mobile services in 2010.

Tata Play

In August 2006, Tata Play began offering DTH (Direct-to-home) services under the name Tata Sky. The Tata Group and News Corporation collaborated to create Tata Sky. On January 26, 2022, Tata Sky was rebranded as Tata Play. Tata Sky was purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2019.

Tata Sky and Ericsson collaborated to introduce the nation's first video-on-demand service in 2012, and in 2015, Tata Sky became the first DTH provider to provide customers with 4K set-top boxes. It currently has more than 23 million connections in India.

Currently, Tata Play provides a range of services, such as:

Beyond DTH: higher definition video and audio, HD programming, and Video on Demand (VOD).

 OTT combination: Many over-the-top (OTT) apps are combined by Tata Play Binge, including Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and others.

Tata Play Binge Combos: a package deal that includes both OTT apps and broadcast channels.