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Our Bureau

Kolkata , Jan. 27

TATA Teleservices Ltd, which launched its range of services in Kolkata today, is hopeful of increasing its customer base from the present 3 million to around 4.5 million-5 million by end of March this year, according to Mr Ajay Pandey, its President.

Speaking to reporters after the launch of services under the Tata Indicom brand in the Kolkata circle, Mr Pandey said the company had already invested Rs 9,000 crore in its telecom venture. An additional investment of Rs 9,000 crore would be made in various telecom initiatives in the next 2-3 years. An investment of Rs 250 crore would be made in Kolkata by March.Mr Pandey said the company would have operations in 20 out of the 23 telecom circles across the country by March 31.The idea was to "solidify" presence in different geographies.

The telecom industry is expected to have a customer base of 150 million by 2009. On its part, Tata Teleservices is hopeful of garnering a market share in the range of 22-25 per cent in the next five years. "We will emerge among the top-two players in the domestic telecom business within the next five years," he said.

According to him, Tata Teleservices had already installed 200 cell sites in the first phase of its network rollout here. The company would shortly launch telecom services in other cities and towns in West Bengal, such as Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri, among others. The product portfolio on offer includes mobile, fixed wireless, public telephone booths and other value-added services.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr F. Vandrevala, Chairman of Tata Teleservices Ltd, said the telecom services rollout here comes with the "Tata promise of providing a better telephone experience" to customers in Kolkata. The tariff structure would be simple and transparent, he said.

According to him , in spite of being the fifth operator to launch telecom services in Kolkata, the company sees great scope for business growth here.

"The market in Kolkata is presently growing at around four per cent per annum. We want to take it to double digits," he said.

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