In terms of the five year rollout, how is that going?
5 0 in India is actually going to vary breakneck speed as we speak.
We already rolled out in about 40 cities.
Two networks are rolling out there to due.
They're both rolling out. And we believe that by December of this
year, most of the urban areas. Big cities, even smaller cities will be
covered. Our objective is by March 24 to cover
the entire country and 5G. Of course, there are more than just one
player. What factors will determine which player
gets to dominate the 5G space? I think, as I said, we both are not
ruling out the three operators as we speak.
Two of us are rolling out and we are rolling out the entire nationwide
network. So it will be available on both
networks. It's not that one is going to be
dominant. The other was rolling out and rolling
out the nationwide network. 5G will be available in the entire
country. So it is a sustainable market structure
in your sense. What will that translate to for Bharti
in terms of profitability when it becomes profitable?
No, we don't. Big subsegments offer 5G profitability
or a 4G profitability. It is a company wide profitability.
And we believe that India has a school for tariff hike.
We are far lower as far as the tariffs are concerned and the consumption of
data is far too large. And of course, as the capacity needs to
be built up and that's where the rollout is happening, we are hoping that or
would it be there, find some price hikes will happen.
And that's not determined just by 5G. But the base is so low and we believe
that this has to go to around 300 rupees on our pool to become a sustainable
model over a period of time. We are discussions still right now.
And when do you expect that to happen? No discussions indeed.
This is the hand of the private sector. We have to really determine as to when
the price hikes will happen. One price hike it happened already saw
what a beta of time, I presume that it will take shape.
You know, it's really two and a half bear market as we speak.
So it will find this construct as we go along.
Of course, for you, it's also bad one when we get through the latest, what's
happening and what's been achieved. We had just shot off about 40 satellites
that had actually give given entire coverage.
Today, we're covering about 80 percent video that will cover 200 per cent.
So totally 648 sites would be up and about.
So to launch that happening when? In February and one in March.
So that would complete the entire constellation of satellites that we have
to put in the sky, intensify that merger with Eutelsat that's going on.
You know, we are waiting for regulatory clearances.
So that's work in progress. How much of a game changer will that be?
I think that that will play well because they added the geo space and Beyond the
Bell space, that that's a complementary space and that gives a network for the
entire world and that that entire globe. So that becomes complementary from both
sides. Raj, I want to get your perspective on
the macro environment. Of course, India has ambitions to be a
seven billion dollar economy in seven years.
How optimistic do you think that can be achieved?
Some say that's pretty ambitious. You know, India has been growing on a
sector. This is 6, 7, 8 per cent.
And I think the way we are seeing the world trends, especially with the
geopolitics as we have gone back last year, stress between the two big
countries, China and us, that is helping India, creating a space for itself while
we've been a service led GDP, manufacturing needs to really come up
this kid. We had only about 15 percent of GDP in
manufacturing. I believe in political leadership, also
believes that that has towards 25 percent.
That's the right mix. And we are seeing a lot of companies are
wanting India earlier, as was China plus India.
Today, India's is coming to the forefront.
We do recognize that and so does the world that you need trusted partners.
You need trusted sources who interested nations.
So that build up is happening. And I believe if we go on the path that
we have chartered and the way the government of the day are really backing
the private sector and wanting investments to come in, 7, 8 percent is
a given. Can we move this needle?
Look, 10 percent is something we have to work on.
It is that pace of growth sustainable, 7, 8 percent growth for the next 5
years, I think is sustainable from next year.
Because if. Please do understand.
Just about 300, 3 trillion economy. So it was 1 from 4 billion people.
The local consumption and export orientation as it will happen, we
believe 78 percent for the coming decade.
It's quite possible for us to take to that benchmark.
What are the key challenges for the economy?
Of course, the world is seeing a high rate high in.
An environment. How might that play out in India?
How might that play out for Indian companies?
Well, India, in the way we are seeing to as we speak today with Europe in
recession and us being where it is, India seems to be a bright spot.
But yet we are all interconnected and the economies, while is interconnected
globally, some stresses will be there. Prolonged war is leading to these supply
chains being broken. That becomes a challenge.
Oil prices, we'll have to see how they play out.
That will become a challenge. So there will be some subset of
challenges that will come. But we believe, at least from an Indian
private sector, that there are enough resources outside which are there to be
deployed, where all they will be deployed is to be seen which are the
largest nations which will attract that foreign direct investment.
India is on top of the list. I would be surprised if lots of Fortune
500 companies who are wanted to go global or are going global, NBA is not
on the CEO's of the boards attention. So I think it will play out.
And we must watch this space as far as global concerns are around for Bharti.
How are you planning to capitalize on the potential growth and position
yourself for the future? I think with is 5G now being, you know,
coming in, that opens up new avenues, especially in the industrial enterprise.
These are the two main areas which will also have to realize the way India has
progressed on digitization. It has been a remarkable few years of
digitization, and that seems to be the mantra of the government and Prime
Minister Modi. And we are playing that part along with
the government, to make sure broadband is available, which will then help all
education, healthcare, government delivery of services, e-commerce,
enterprise that would proliferate. Today, broadband invented this gadget in
your hand. The all pervasive saw that hopes and
hopefully had been growing the AAP for helping to bring in more
revenue generation possibilities.