XIUS joins hands with Hebitel to tap MVNO market in India

NEW DELHI: Telecom and mobile payments technology supplier XIUS said that it has joined hands with United Kingdom’s Hebitel Ltd, a global provider of MVNO management consulting services,  to help companies launch Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in India.

XIUS and Hebitel are partnering to offer clients a one-stop-shop for MVNO launches in India . XIUS will provide the important technology and integration expertise.

Hebitel will provide experienced personnel and services that include license application, market identification and business planning, experienced interim staff and all launch activities necessary from an MVNO perspective.

The MVNO concept has evolved over the years and many of the present day mobile subscribers are customers of MVNOs. For instance, about 10-15 percent of all mobile subscribers in Europe are subscribers of MVNOs.

With TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) recently approving rules to regulate MVNO in the country and such services now awaiting final ministerial approval before becoming a law, the MVNO landscape in India is expected to scale the next level of growth. Independent researc h firms validate this and predict India to be one of the world’s largest markets for MVNOs.

IDC forecasts total mobile services revenue in India to reach US $37 Billion in 2017. If Indian MVNOs are successful in following European experience, the market could easily represent a US $4 Billion opportunity very quickly.

“Successful MVNOs know their market niche and focus on servicing it well,” says Paul Nicholas, Managing Director of Hebitel.

“Across the world we see very successful MVNOs targeting youth, roaming markets, international calling and othe rs. With the immense scale of the Indian market we know that many niche services will spell huge success for our MVNO clients," said Nicholas.

Launching an MVNO is not without risk, however. History shows that not all MVNOs can expect to succeed. It is essential that an MVNO launching in the Indian market is aware of international best practices and is able to adapt to the specific demands of the Indian market.

G.V. Kumar, CEO of XIUS notes that “With a presence of nearly 25 years, XIUS operates both, in Indian and international telecom markets. Our Mobile Services Platfo rm (MSP) manages more than 350 million phone calls a day. Having built our own successful business in India gives us the local knowledge to provide MVNO entrants a real advantage in this complex market.”