Vodafone Group Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Colao has said the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular will be the next exciting chapter for the British telecom major in India.

Speaking via video conference, Colao said: “Our proposed merger with Idea is the next exciting chapter for Vodafone. We will create a strong champion for digital India, which will be, I am sure, a great support for the government vision and for the Indian citizen’s ambition.”

Colao stayed away from raising any concerns over the recent decision by the telecom regulator to cut mobile termination charges by nearly 55 per cent.

He chose to focus on the future of the Indian telecom sector and the benefits consumer can expect.

‘Strong appetite for data’

“Indian consumers have a very strong appetite for data services, but still over half a billion people are not connected to the internet, and that is a great opportunity for all. To realise India’s full potential as a superpower, it is essential that the telecom sector, which is a core driver of economic development, is in good health. Telecom will be a key enabler of a future-fit India, and we have to always remember that telecom enable other sectors, including healthcare and education, and catalyse innovation.” Colao said Vodafone will bring its Unified Communications platform to India to give seamless high-speed connectivity at home, work, play or anywhere else.

“And this requires the integration of multiple technologies into a single machine network which can offer the best and interrupted services, what we call at Vodafone, Unified Communication.

We offer unified communication in most parts of the world; we want to offer it in India, too. This is strategic for Vodafone, but it’s also strategic for India as a country.”

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