Tata Docomo

2025-09-25T21:32:57Z

2409:4089:10:2649:D0BD:98A:1E85:6087:

{{short description|Indian telecommunications company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{use Indian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = TATA DOCOMO
| logo = Tata_Docomo_Logo.png
| logo_size = 250px
| former_name = Tata Docomo
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| industry = [[Telecommunications]]
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=y|2008|11}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|df=y|2019|07|01}}
| fate = Acquired by [[Bharti Airtel]]
| location = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| owner =
| members = 20.04 million (March 2018)<ref name="trai">{{cite web|url=https://main.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/PRNo05Eng18012019_0.pdf|title=Press Release on Telecom Subscription Data as on 12 February, 2018|date=17 March 2018|website=Telecom Regulatory Authority of India|access-date=21 March 2018|archive-date=12 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212131232/https://main.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/PRNo05Eng18012019_0.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| num_employees = 5,015<ref name="tatadocomo">{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/tata-teleservices-users-to-be-moved-to-airtel-under-icr-pact/articleshow/61755712.cms|title= Tata Docomo|website=Economic Times|date=20 November 2017|access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref>
| parent = [[Bharti Airtel]]
| area_served = India
| products = {{ubl|[[Mobile telephony]]|[[Wireless Internet]]|[[Internet services]]}}
}}

'''Tata Docomo''' was an [[List of telecom companies in India|Indian mobile network operator]], a wholly owned subsidiary of [[Tata Teleservices]] deriving its name from [[NTT Docomo]] who invested in the company in 2008. In October-2017, [[Bharti Airtel]] announced a merger deal with [[Tata Teleservices]] and the acquisition of Tata Docomo.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/bharti-airtel-completes-merger-of-tata-tele-s-consumer-mobile-businesses-119070101217_1.html |title= Airtel acquired Tata Mobile Business |publisher= Business Standard |date=1 July 2019 |access-date=3 July 2019 }}</ref> As of 07-July-2019, all Tata Docomo users were migrated to Bharti Airtel and hence became Airtel users.

The consumer mobile businesses of Tata Docomo, [[Tata Teleservices]] (TTSL) and Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Limited (TTML) have been merged into [[Bharti Airtel]] from 01-July-2019.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/telecom/airtel-completes-merger-of-tata-teleservices-consumer-mobile-business-1562001016569.html |title= Airtel Completes Merger of Tata |publisher= Livemint |date=1 July 2019 |access-date=4 July 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/airtel-tata-tele-merger-completed/article28251509.ece |title= Airtel's Tata merger deal |publisher= Business Line |date=1 July 2019 |access-date=3 July 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/tata-teleservices-merger-dot-seeks-rs-7200-crore-bank-guarantee-from-airtel/articleshow/68833052.cms |title= DoT approved deal of Tata and Bharti Airtel |publisher= Economic Times |date=11 April 2019 |access-date= 5 May 2019 }}</ref>

==History==
{{Further|Tata Group}}
Tata Docomo was part of the Indian conglomerate [[Tata Group]]. The company received the licence to operate GSM services in nineteen telecom circles and was allotted spectrum in eighteen of these circles and launched GSM services on 24-June-2009. It began operations first in [[South India]] and had operated GSM services in eighteen of twenty-two telecom circles. It had licences to operate in [[Delhi]] but had not been allocated spectrum from the Government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.askbiography.com/bio/Tata_DoCoMo.html/about-www.askbiography.com/bio/Tata_DoCoMo.html.aspx |title=About Tata DOCOMO | 3G Mobiles in India | 3G Network |publisher=Askbiography.com |access-date=2012-06-28}}</ref> Docomo provided services throughout India. Tata Docomo offered both [[Prepaid mobile phone|prepaid]] and postpaid [[Mobile phone|Mobile Phone]] services. It became very popular with its one-second pulse, especially in [[Rural–urban fringe|semi-urban]] and rural areas.

In November-2008, [[NTT Docomo]] invested {{INRConvert|12740|c|year=2009}} in Tata Teleservices, at {{INRConvert|117|year=2009}} a share for a 26.5% stake in the latter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/tatas-agree-to-pay-1-18-bn-to-ntt-docomo-for-exit/articleshow/57394121.cms|title=Tatas agree to pay $1.18 bn to NTT DoCoMo for exit|date=2 February 2017|work=The Times of India|access-date=10 September 2017}}</ref><ref name="business-standard.com">{{Cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tata-offers-to-buy-out-docomo-at-rs-23-3-a-share-115071900208_1.html|title=Tata offers to buy out Docomo at Rs 23.3 a share|last=Chatterjee|first=Dev|date=2015-07-20|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2017-09-10}}</ref> Docomo, TTSL and Tata Sons had in March-2009 signed shareholder agreement for the business alliance. In March-2009, Docomo acquired 27.31% of Tata Teleservices for Rs 12,924 crore and 20.25% in Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd, the listed arm of TTSL, for {{INR}}949 crore. Overall, Docomo held 26.5% in Tata Teleservices.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.firstpost.com/business/docomos-india-exit-gets-painful-tatas-offer-just-rs-23-34-share-tata-tele-stake-2351276.html|title=DoCoMo's India exit gets more painful after Tatas offer just Rs 23.34 a share for Tata Tele stake|date=2015-07-20|work=Firstpost|access-date=2017-09-10|language=en-US}}</ref>

On 05-November-2010, Tata Docomo became the first private sector telecom company to launch [[3G]] services in India. Tata Docomo had about 49 million users at the end of March-2017.

In April-2011, Tata Docomo signed [[Hindi cinema|Bollywood]] actor [[Ranbir Kapoor]] as its [[brand ambassador]] on a three-year contract.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-04-07/news/29392642_1_tata-docomo-tata-docomo-brand-ambassador | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000009/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-04-07/news/29392642_1_tata-docomo-tata-docomo-brand-ambassador | url-status=dead | archive-date=31 December 2013 | work=The Times Of India | title=Tata DOCOMO ropes in Ranbir Kapoor as brand ambassador | date=2011-04-07}}</ref> For the southern states of [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]], actors [[Vijay (actor)|Vijay]] and [[Ram Charan]] were the brand ambassadors respectively.

In October-2017, [[Bharti Airtel]] announced its acquisition of Tata Docomo having roughly 17 million subscribers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bharti Airtel acquires Tata's mobile arm|url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/bharti-airtel-to-acquire-tatas-consumer-mobile-business/article19846171.ece|access-date=23 April 2018|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=12 October 2017}}</ref>

===Rebranding & Reformation===

On 20-October-2011, the [[Tata Group]] brought its brands – Indicom ([[Code-division multiple access|CDMA]]), Walky (Fixed Wireless Phone), and Photon INTERNET – under the Tata Docomo brand. All subscribers to these services were transited to Tata Docomo's network on 20-October-2011. In 2015, Virgin Mobile India also merged with Tata Docomo. [[Airtel India|T24 Mobile]] merged with Tata Docomo on 15-August-2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://telecomtalk.info/tata-tele-data-products-get-new-identity-with-docomo-brand/80157/|title=Tata Tele Data Products Get New Identity With Docomo Brand|date=19 October 2011}}</ref> All operations across India of said companies had merged into Tata Docomo's entity to form the second largest CDMA and GSM network in India.

===NTT Docomo Exit===
According to the agreement between the [[Tata Group]] and [[NTT Docomo]], the latter had the right to sell its stake if Tata Docomo missed performance targets, with Tata getting the right of the first refusal.<ref name="business-standard.com"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/11/14/with-docomo-tata-dispute-raging-india-discourages-foreign-investment/#5ff7cb946b03|title=With DoCoMo-Tata Dispute Raging, India Discourages Foreign Investment|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref> On 25-April-2014, NTT Docomo had announced that they would sell all of their shares in Tata Docomo and exit the [[Telecommunications in India|Indian telecom industry]] as they had incurred a total loss of $1.3 billion. Under the joint venture agreement between the two groups, NTT Docomo would either increase its stake from 26.5% to 51% or sell all of its shares, depending on the performance of Tata Docomo in the Indian market.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/DoCoMo-to-exit-India-at-1-3-billion-loss/articleshow/34218148.cms |title=DoCoMo to exit India at $1.3 billion loss |date=26 April 2014 |work=The Times of India |author=Reeba Zachariah}}</ref>

Since Tata was unable to find a buyer for the shares, they sought the approval of the [[Reserve Bank of India|RBI]], in November 2014, to buy back the shares from NTT Docomo for $1.1 billion (at {{INR}}58.045 per share), half the price paid by them in 2009. The RBI had approved the deal in January-2015, but reversed their decision and rejected the deal in March-2015, citing [[Foreign Exchange Management Act|FEMA]] regulations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/rbi-rejects-tata-offer-for-docomos-teleservices-stake/articleshow/46679352.cms |title=RBI rejects Tata offer for DoCoMo's Teleservices stake |date=25 March 2015 |work=The Economic Times |author=ET Bureau}}</ref> Following the RBI decision, the Tata Group offered to purchase Docomo's stake at {{INR}}23.34 a share on the basis of a fair market value determined on 30-June-2014 by [[PwC]].<ref name="business-standard.com"/> NTT Docomo then moved the [[London Court of International Arbitration]] seeking a valuation of {{INR}}58 a share.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/docomo-plans-foreclosure-action-against-tata-sons-115010500582_1.html |title=Docomo plans foreclosure action against Tata Sons |date=6 January 2015 |work=Business Standard |author=Dev Chatterjee}}</ref>

On 28-February-2017, Tata and NTT Docomo resolved their dispute, after the former announced that it would pay the latter US$1.18 billion in exchange for NTT Docomo's shares in the joint venture.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bureau|first1=Our|title=Tata Sons-NTT DoCoMo bury hatchet|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/tata-sonsntt-docomo-bury-hatchet/article9563555.ece|website=The Hindu Business Line|access-date=28 February 2017|language=en|date=28 February 2017}}</ref> On 31-October, $1.27 billion was paid to NTT Docomo by Tata Sons, thus ending the dispute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/OEfLrYc0PPUT5i3oOBN1ZL/NTT-Docomo-gets-12-billion-payment-from-Tata-Sons-dispute.html|title=Tata-Docomo dispute settled as Tata Sons pays $1.27 bn arbitration award|first=Shally Seth|last=Mohile|date=31 October 2017}}</ref>

===Acquisition by Bharti Airtel===

On 12-October-2017, Bharti Airtel proposed a deal for the acquisition of Tata Group's Telecommunications including, Tata Teleservices and Tata Docomo. Tata Group made a deal with Airtel, to sell its assets in a debt-cash-free deal which will only include TTSL's spectrum liability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/tata-teleservices-to-sell-its-wireless-mobile-business-to-bharti-airtel/articleshow/61051618.cms|title=Tata Teleservices to sell its wireless mobile business to Bharti Airtel|first1=Arijit|last1=Barman|first2=Romit|last2=Guha|date=13 October 2017|via=The Economic Times}}</ref>
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Department of Telecom (DoT) gave approval for Airtel to proceed with the deal.

==Network==

===3G===
On 19-May-2010, the 3G [[spectrum auction]] in India ended. Tata Teleservices paid {{INR}}5,864.29 crores for spectrum in 10 circles. These circles obtained 3G licences and they are [[Madhya Pradesh]] & [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Gujarat]], [[Haryana]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]], [[Maharashtra]] & [[Goa]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], and [[Western Uttar Pradesh|Uttar Pradesh (West)]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.medianama.com/2010/05/223-3g-auction-india-ends-provisional-winners/|title=India's 3G Auction Ends; Operator And Circle-Wise Results|date=19 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=202824&f_src=lightreading_gnews |title=Light Reading India – IP & Convergence – ,Aircel Join Forces for 3G – Telecom News Analysis |publisher=Lightreading.com |date=9 January 2011 |access-date=2014-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816001247/http://www.lightreading.in/document.asp?doc_id=202824 |archive-date=16 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://telecomtalk.info/tata-docomo-and-aircel-terminate-3g-roaming-deal/84018/#more-84018 |title=Tata Docomo and Aircel Terminate 3G Roaming Deal |publisher=Telecomtalk.info |date=2011-12-14 |access-date=2012-06-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Docomo Launches Facility for users to add unused 2g/3g Data|url=http://www.wapmasterszone.com/2014/12/tata-docomo-carry-forward.html|website=www.wapmasterszone.com|publisher=WapmasterZone|access-date=2 February 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Bharti Enterprises}}
{{Tata Group|state=collapsed}}
{{Telecommunication companies of India|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Telecommunications companies of India]]
[[Category:Mobile phone companies of India]]
[[Category:Mass media companies based in Delhi]]
[[Category:Companies based in New Delhi]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 2008]]
[[Category:Mass media companies established in 2008]]
[[Category:Telecommunications companies established in 2008]]
[[Category:NTT Docomo]]
[[Category:Tata Teleservices]]
[[Category:Bharti Airtel]]
[[Category:2008 establishments in Delhi]]
[[Category:Companies disestablished in 2019]]

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Tata Docomo