The Hindu Business Line : VSNL launches Global Calling Card

VIDESH Sanchar Nigam Ltd today launched the Tata Indicom `Global Calling Card' through which travellers can make international calls from 25 countries.

The company aims to sell 30 million minutes' worth of calling cards within a year, said Mr Harjit Singh, Deputy General Manager, Overseas Business Group, VSNL.

Tariffs, at Rs 11 per minute for a US-India call, Rs 12 per minute for a Europe-India call are fairly competitive, said VSNL officials.

The tariffs would work out 75 per cent cheaper than the use of one's own mobile phone overseas on the international roaming facility, and 20 per cent to 30 per cent cheaper than making a standard call from overseas, said a presentation from VSNL.

VSNL already sells calling cards; its `India-on-Call' cards are specific to the US, UK or the Gulf; while its Hello Duniya calling cards are for outbound national and international calls for subscribers of Tata Indicom phone subscribers.

The India-on-Call card, which is country-specific, has been very successful especially among corporates some of whom, like ICICI Bank, have placed large orders, said Mr Harjit Singh.

The company is also experimenting with calling cards for NRIs. This would be done completely online, with NRIs registering their numbers for this purpose.

According to VSNL officials, the calling card business is not a very high margin one, as it does involve marketing costs, retailers' margins of around 20 per cent, and the like. However in larger numbers it would cover the fixed costs of VSNL's infrastructure, which would be being put to good use.