A STUDY ON RETAILERS PERCEPTION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO AIRCEL SERVICES IN AIRCEL LIMITED,

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree Of

Post graduation diploma in management

Under guidance of (Head, Dept. Of Marketing) Submitted by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
A Project Report is never successfully completed without the guidance from appropriate person. So, now it is the right time to express my sincere gratitude towards all those, who have helped me to complete the project. I take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Mr., Principal of for his perseverance and attention which he extended to us. I express my humble and deep indebtness to Prof., Director of whose guidance and encouragement always remained as a source of inspiration throughout the course of this project work to shape it well. I am extremely grateful to Mr Aircel Limited for permitting me to work in the esteemed organization of Aircel Limited, for giving me an opportunity to gain some practical experience in their company, by doing this project.

Special thanks goes to my mentor Prof. J. (Head, Dept. of Marketing) for providing me much needed information and giving me direction which paved the way for the completion of the project. I am also thankful to entire faculty and staff of without which this project would be not a successful one. Last but not the least I would like to appreciate my parents who have always motivated me directly and indirectly to do my work with utmost Dedication.

DECLARATION
of Business Excellence, Hyderabad, hereby declare that this project report entitled A study on Retailers perception with special reference to Aircel services in Aircel limited Hyderabad, is a bonafide record of work done by me during the course of summer internship project work of PGDM program and all contents and facts are prepared and presented by me without any bias. I also declare that it has not previously formed the basis for the award to me for any degree/diploma associate ship, fellowship or other similar title, of any Institute/Society.

Patil)

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
Certified that this project report A study on Retailers perception with special reference to Aircel services in Aircel limited is the bonafide work of Vijay Gangadhar Patil who carried out the project work under my supervision

SIGNATURE

SIGNATURE

HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

SUPERVISOR

INDEX
CHAPTER 1 Executive Summary List of Tables List of Figures 07 08 09

CHAPTER 2

Introduction Objectives of the Study Scope of the study Research Methodology Limitation

11 12 13 14 16

CHAPTER 3

Industry Profile Company Profile

18 21

CHAPTER 4

Data Analysis

25

CHAPTER 5

Findings Conclusion Suggestion

44 45 46

ANNEXURES

Questionnaire Bibliography Reference

48 50 51

CHAPTER 1

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2. LIST OF THE TABLES

3. LIST OF THE FIGURES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 60 days Summer Internship Project is designed to undergo the rigor of professional environment both in form and substance. It provides platform to take up the training and to develop the network which will be useful in enhancing my career prospects. The company for which I have done my project is Aircel Limited. The Aircel group is a joint venture between maxis communication Berhad of Malaysia and Apollo hospital enterprise ltd of India, wit maxis communication holding a majority stakes of 74%. The main aim of this project was to do the Survey of Market & Retailers of Aircel in Hyderabad. The project was to collect the feedback from the retailers with the help of questionnaires. This research work comprises of the data of retail outlets in the Hyderabad and the questionnaire was carried out to record the data. The data from the various outlets was collected and it was recorded. Then, based on the collected data on Aircel services and their products are recorded and analyzed for company market value & performance.

LIST OF TABLES
1. Representing monthly total activations data. 2. Representing monthly Aircel activations data. 3. Representing telecom product services provided by retailers to customers. 4. Representing retailers opinion, about the company giving best services. 5. Representing Aircel features data. 6. Representing companies best plan data. 7. Representing last month best plan services. 8. Representing Aircel connection plans data. 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39

9. Representing pricing of Aircel services.

41

LIST OF FIGURES
1. Representing monthly total activations data. 2. Representing monthly Aircel activations data. 3. Representing telecom product services provided by retailers to customers. 4. Representing retailers opinion, about the company giving best services. 5. Representing Aircel features data. 6. Representing companies best plan data. 7. Representing last month best plan services. 8. Representing Aircel connection plans data. 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39

9. Representing pricing of Aircel services.

41

CHAPTER 2

1. INTORDUCTION

2. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

3. SCOPE

4. RESEARCH METHDOLOGY

5. LIMITATIONS

INTRODUCTION
Whenever we talk of growth and development of a nation, hardly can there be anyone who can ignore the vital contribution of Telecommunication sector. Today it has become a lifeline for us, in the absence of which we feel we are separated from the world at large. The importance of telecommunication product and service has gone deep in the life of people that after three essentials of human being i.e. food, shelter and clothing the fourth one that can be added comfortably is the communication. A gadget and a service which can be found in everyones palm ranging from rickshaw-puller to big businessmen. Now talking of India, which is still a developing country, the importance of telecommunication as a sector can be very well understood. Indian telecom sector has been doing exceptionally well in the past decade. Its structural and institutional reforms have provided tremendous growth opportunity to his sector. India has nearly 250 million telephone lines making it the third largest network in the world after China and USA. With a growth rate of 45%, Indian telecom industry has the highest growth rate in the world. And in this context whenever we talk of mobile telephony, Aircel as a brand must

be taken in to account. Nowadays there is lot of competition between different telecom operators who in order to add more subscriber base to the existing figures comes out with attractive customer schemes and virtually there is a tug of war between operators to get more market share. But in this fierce competitive war to get more subscriber base, many a times the Retailers who play a vital role in the whole chain of sales and who influence customers for a service provider are sometimes ignored. So from this study an attempt has been made to understand the psychology, behavior, perception and satisfaction at the Retailer level. In this competitive market for a service provider to get an edge over other operator, in addition to other prevailing factors a operator must clearly understand the behavior, perception and satisfaction level of Retailers, which will help them to design effective strategies to get more sales and increase subscriber base. The study delves into how the Retailer perception and their expectation level from a particular service provider and how it can be effectively managed.

OBJECTIVE
1. To understand the awareness of the retailers towards the customers requirement of Aircel. 2. To analyze, the customers preferences of the services provided by Aircel from the perspective of retailers. 3. To understand the features and plans offered by preferred Aircel services in comparison other services.

4.

To understand the performance of Aircel activation with reference to the services provided.

SCOPE
The scope of the study was limited to sample size of 60. The feedback was to be collected from all the retailers in the city. The study was limited to the city of Hyderabad. The study was done not only for the retailers of Aircel but also for all the telecom companies which are a part of telecom Industry.

RESEARCH METHDOLOGY

Research Objective : 1. To understand retailers perception in telecom sector. 2. To study services providers & their services quality in the telecom sector. 3. To study retailers satisfaction & understand the current scenario in telecom sector. Sampling size Sampling frame Sampling method Constraints Data : : : : : 60 Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Stratified random sampling. Time, number of respondent. Primary and secondary data through personal

Meetings Research Approach : Survey Type of Questions : : Survey method Questionnaire Unstructured

Methodology is an essential aspect of any project or research. It enable the researches look at the problem in a systematically, meaningful and orderly way. Methodology comprises the source of data, selection of data, various design and techniques used for analyzing the data.

Research design:It is purely and simply the frame work or blue print of a study that helps to collect and analyze the data. The research design undertaken in this study is exploratory in nature, i.e. to discover the future opportunities.

Data Collection method: The primary data are collected through survey method is undertaken to find the retailers satisfaction and opinion. A survey was conducted among the retailers of Hyderabad city by the aid of unstructured questionnaire. The population of the study consists of retailers who are providing or selling Aircel product services. The sampling unit for the study is 60, which includes the retailers in Hyderabad city. The sampling size was restricted to 60 for want of time. Here convenient sampling techniques have been adopted for collecting the primary data. The no. of question were about 7-9 questions. It included question regarding the retailers opinion towards company services. Secondary data was collected from the company website about the company. Secondary data from internet and from magazines were useful.

Statistical data method: For analyzing the data, statistical tables, and test were used.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1. The sample size of data was limited and collected up to sample size of 60. 2. The analysis is completely based upon the retailers answers because of which there may be some bias. 3. There were also a few non-respondents. 4. The location of the survey was only limited to Hyderabad. 5. The time period was a restriction.

CHAPTER 3

1. INDUSTRY PROFILE

2. COMPANY PROFILE

INDUSTRY PROFILE
The Indian telecommunications industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of telecom subscribers in the country reached 621.28 million as on March 31, 2010, an increase of 3.38 per cent from 600.98 million in February 2010. With this the overall Tele-density (telephones per 100 people) has touched 52.74. The wireless subscriber base has increased to 584.32 million at the end of March 2010 from 564.02 million in February 2010, registering a growth of 3.6 percent. Investments The booming domestic telecom market has been attracting huge amounts of investment which is likely to accelerate with the entry of new players and launch of new services. According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the telecommunications sector which includes radio paging, mobile services and basic telephone services attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth US$ 2,495 million during April to February 2010. The cumulative flow of FDI in the sector during April 2000 and February 2010 is US$ 8,872 million. Norway-based telecom operator Telenor has bought a further 7 per cent in Unitech Wireless for a little over US$ 431.3 million. Telenor now has 67.25 per cent hold of the company. Telenor has now completed its four-stage stake buy and has invested a total of US$ 1.32 billion in Unitech Wireless as agreed on with the latter last year. The government has approved the foreign direct investment (FDI) proposal of the Federal Agency for State Property Management of the Russian

Federation to buy 20 per cent stake in telecom service provider Sistema-Shyam for US$ 660.1 million Global In March 2010, BhartiAirtel bought the African operations of Kuwait-based Zain Telecom for US$ 10.7 billion, driving the Indian player into the league of top ten telecom players globally. The Reserve Bank has liberalized the investment norms for Indian telecom companies by allowing them to invest in international submarine cable consortia through the automatic route. In April 2010, RBI issued a notification stating "As a measure of further liberalization, it has now been decided... to allow Indian companies to participate in a consortium with other international operators to construct and maintain submarine cable systems on co-ownership basis under the automatic route." The notification further added, "Accordingly, banks may allow remittances by Indian companies for overseas direct investment." 3G Services The Department of Telecom has taken the pioneering decision of launching of 3G services by BSNL and MTNL and initiation of process for auction of spectrum for 3G services to private operators. Allocation of spectrum for third-generation (3G), and broadband wireless access (BWA) services was done through a controlled simultaneous, ascending e-auction process. All the 71 blocks that were put up for auction across the 22 service areas in the country were sold, leaving no unsold lots. Auction for 3G spectrum ended on May 19, 2010 after 183 rounds of intense bidding over a span of 34 days. The Government is expected to morph revenue worth US$ 14.6 billion. All the available slots across 22 circles have been sold to seven different operators. A Pan-India bid for third generation spectrum stood at US$ 3.6 billion. The Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communication bagged the highest number of 13 circles at a cost of US$ 1.9 billion, followed by BhartiAirtel in 12, Idea in 11 and Vodafone and the TATAs in nine circles each, according to the Department of Telecommunications. MTNL and BSNL will have to pay US$ 1.42 billion and US$ 2.2 billion respectively. Manufacturing The Indian telecom industry manufactures a vast range of telecom equipment using state-of-theart technology. According to the Economic Survey 2009-10, the production of telecom equipment in value terms has increased from US$ 9 billion in 2007-08 to US$ 10.53 billion in 2008-09 and is expected to be US$ 12.4 billion in 2009-10. Exports have increased from US$ 86.74 million in 2002-03 to US$ 23.7 billion in 2008-09, accounting for 21 per cent of the equipment produced in the country. Telecommunication equipment major Nokia Siemens is planning to source components worth US$ 28.5 billion from India in 2010-11. In 2009, the company sourced components worth US$ 20 billion from India. According to a report by technology researcher Gartner Inc., India ranks fourth in manufacturing telecom equipment in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The country has a 5.7 per cent share of the regions total telecom equipment production revenue of US$ 180 billion in 2009. "We expect India to move up to the third spot (after China and South Korea) with a share of 8.5 per cent of the total (estimated) APAC telecom equipment production revenue of US$ 277 billion by 2014," Gartner

said. The firm estimates Indias telecom equipment production revenue to grow at a CAGR of 17.1 per cent to reach US$ 22.6 billion in fiscal 2014. India will be the fastest growing telecom equipment production market in the APAC region over the next five years, it predicts.

Rural Telephony According to the Economic Survey 2009-10, rural Tele-density has increased from 1.2 per cent in March 2002 to 15.1 per cent in March 2009 and further to 21.2 per cent at the end of December 2009. Rural telephone connections have gone up from 12.3 million in March 2004 to 123.5 million in March 2009 and further to 174.6 million in December 2009. The share of private sector players in the total telephone connections has steadily increased from around 14 per cent in 2005 to 31 per cent as on December 31, 2009. During 2008-09, the growth rate of rural telephones was 61.5 per cent as against 36.7 per cent for urban telephones. The private sector has contributed significantly to the growth of rural telephony by providing 81.5 per cent of the rural phones as on December 31, 2009. It is proposed to achieve rural Tele-density of 25 per cent by means of 200 million rural connections by the end of the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Policy Initiatives The government has taken many proactive initiatives to facilitate the rapid growth of the Indian telecom industry. In the area of telecom equipment manufacturing and provision of IT-enabled services, 100 per cent FDI is permitted. No cap on the number of access providers in any service area. In 2008, 122 new Unified Access Service (UAS) licenses were granted to 17 companies in 22 services areas of the country. Revised subscriber based criteria for allocation of Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) spectra were issued in January 2008. To provide infrastructure support for mobile services a scheme has been launched to provide support for setting up and managing 7,436 infrastructure sites spread over 500 districts in 27 states. As on December 31, 2009, about 6,956 towers had been set up under the scheme. According to the Consolidated Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Policy document, the FDI limit in telecom services is 74 per cent subject to the following conditions: This is applicable in case of Basic, Cellular, Unified Access Services, National/ International Long Distance, V-Sat, Public Mobile Radio Trunked Services (PMRTS), Global Mobile Personal Communications Services (GMPCS) and other value added Services. Both direct and indirect foreign investment in the licensee company shall be counted for the purpose of FDI ceiling. Foreign Investment shall include investment by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), Non-resident Indians (NRIs), Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs), American Depository Receipts (ADRs), Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) and convertible preference shares held by foreign entity. In any case, the 'Indian' shareholding will not be less than 26 per cent FDI up to 49 per cent is on the automatic route and beyond that on the government route. FDI in the licensee company/Indian promoters/investment companies including their holding companies shall require approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) if it has a bearing on the overall ceiling of 74 per cent. While approving the investment proposals, FIPB shall take note that investment is not coming from countries of concern and/or unfriendly entities. The

investment approval by FIPB shall envisage the conditionality that the Company would adhere to license Agreement FDI shall be subject to laws of India and not the laws of the foreign country/countries The Road Ahead According to a report published by Gartner Inc. in June 2009, the total mobile services revenue in India is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5 per cent from 2009-2013 to exceed US$ 30 billion. The India mobile subscriber base is set to exceed 771 million connections by 2013, growing at a CAGR of 14.3 per cent in the same period from 452 million in 2009. This growth is poised to continue through the forecast period, and India is expected to remain the worlds second largest wireless market after China in terms of mobile connections. "The Indian mobile industry has now moved out of its hyper growth mode, but it will continue to grow at double-digit rates for next three years as operators focus on rural parts of the country," said Madhusudan Gupta, senior research analyst at Gartner. "Growth will also be triggered by increased adoption of value-added services, which are relevant to both rural and urban markets." Mobile market penetration is projected to increase from 38.7 per cent in 2009 to 63.5 per cent in 2013, according to Gartner.

COMPANY PROFILE
The Aircel group is a joint venture between maxis communication Berhad of Malaysia and Apollo hospital enterprise ltd of India, wit maxis communication holding a majority stakes of 74%. Aircel commenced operation in 1999 and became the leading mobile operator in Tamil Nadu within 18 months. In December 2003, it launched commercially in Chennai a quickly established itself as a market leader- a positive it has held since. Till today, the company gained a foothold in 18 circles including Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Assam, North East, Orissa, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Kolkata, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, UP(West), UP(East),Maharashtra & Goa and Mumbai. The company has currently gained a momentum in the space of telecom, govt. of India for 13 new circles across India. These including Delhi(metro), Mumbai(metro), Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Karla, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra & Goa, Rajasthan, Punjab, UP(west) and UP (east). With over 25 million customers in the country, Aircel the fast growing telecom company in India. Aircel is a full-fledged national operator. Aircel group, today introduce face book update on SMS services to its prepaid and post paid subscribers.

COMPANY OFFERING (PRODUCTS)

Aircel as mainly deal in its core business of cellular connection it provides verity of products such Postpaid mobile connection. Prepaid mobile connection. Recharge vouchers. Value added services. Broadband connections.

With the help of these products company operate its business in the market & company launches other products but they can be depend on either the competition or customer preference.

PRODUCT AND SERVICES

Aircel provided 2G services (3G services about to start) using digital GSM technology. We offer GSM voice and data services in all of the regions in which we currently operate. In addition to basic mobile voice telephony services, we offer a wide range of value added and data services. These include voicemail, dual SIM card capabilities, missed call alert, SMS, GPRS services, and email services. Aircel offers a bouquet of Innovative products that are unique & simple to use with a single minded objective of solving a real problem. Aircel products are unique in a various ways to keep you one step ahead. Aircel are focused on demonstrating our versatility in creating value to our subscribers through innovative products. It offers pre-paid and post- paid voice, MMS access services. Aircel launched services in most over part of India. MISSION STATEMENT We are conditionally committed to exceeding our customers expectations. We will provide network and services that are innovative and reliable, allowing our customers any time anywhere communications. We will attract, develop and retain an exceptional team of people. We are committed to enhancing the quality of real life in the community in which we operate. We will meet the financial expectation of our shareholders. GOALS AND VALUES Customers: Our customers are our most valued assets. we will strive to exceed their expectations at all time by providing them with superior services that embody value, innovation, quality and care. People: our people are our greatest resources. we will attract, train and retain the best. we will challenge them to develop their full potential in the context of our company goals.

Integrity: We will maintain and strive for the highest levels of personal and professional integrity and honesty in all ours dealings. We will keep our promises. Respect: We will treat with respect & dignity all people we deal with. Excellence: We are committed to excellence in all what we do. There will be no place for mediocrity. Work: We will promote a work environment that embraces creativity, promotes empowerment, and encourages team work, innovation, prudent risk taking, honest and open communication and respectful iconoclasm. Quality: The hallmark of our internal and external outputs and processes will be quality. this will pervade every aspect of our functioning.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Awarded in No.1in customer satisfaction and network quality - 2006 Best Mid size companies in the year - 2007 Best Continue Campaign Aircel TM ABBY Awards Added Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan and UP (East) circles to India operation. Best regional operator in the year - 2008. World Brand Congress 2009 with three awards, Brand Leadership in Telecom, Marketing Campaign & Marketing Professional of the Year. CMAI INFOCOM National Telecom Award in the year 2009 for, Excellence in Marketing of New Telecom Service.

COMPETITORS PROFILE
In India, Aircel is the 5th largest GSM mobile provider industry in India. The Aircel limited competitors are 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bharti Airtel. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. Reliance Communications. Vodafone Essar. Aircel limited. Tata Tele services.

7. Idea cellular. 8. Uninor. But the following companies are main competitors for Aircel, in Indian telecom industry. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bharti Airtel. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited . Reliance Communications. Vodafone Essar . Aircel Limited. Tata Tele services.

CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS

DATA ANALYSIS
A study of statistical analysis based on following questionnaire and data.

Table1. Representing monthly total activation data No. of Retailers sales 0 to 25 25 to 100 100 to 150 150 to 350 350 to 1500 No. of Retailers 9 26 13 7 5 Percentages 15% 43% 19% 13% 10%

Source : Questionnaire Figure1. Representing monthly total activation data 0 to 25 25 to 100 100 to 150 150 to 350 350 to 1500

9 7

13 26

Source: Questionnaire

Inference:
The subscribers want to select the best network service. And the subscribers are giving preference to those services; those are providing like network quality, reasonable call rate, and good internet facility, with best prepaid and postpaid services. And retailers need monthly changes in every network service plans. From the above table it can be concluded that Tolichowki and Chandrayangutta retailers sales showing low range from other retailers. Due to lesser barriers of entry, there foreign companies are coming to India and subscribers want to select one of the best telecom services from them.

Table2. Representing monthly Aircel activation data No. of Activation 0 to 5 5 to 15 15 to 25 25 to 35 35 to more Source: Questionnaire Figure2. Representing monthly Aircel activation data No. of Retailers 21 16 11 9 3

35 to more 25 to 35 15 to 25 5 to 15 0 to 5 0

3 9 11 16 21

10

15

20

25

Source: Questionnaire

Inference:
Aircel has less market demand because other companies are providing good services from Aircel. From retailers perception it can be concluded that Aircel will have to put services with new plans, as like last month Reliance communication and Idea cellular was given activations Rs. 13/- and Rs. 26/- respectively with free full talk time. From the above table it can be conclude that in the last month 21 retailers had done activations only near to 0 to 5 but other retailers had done more than 5 activations, even some retailers had done more than 35 activations in the last month.

Table3. Representing telecom products services provided by retailers to customers Telecom industry services Postpaid Prepaid Both(postpaid and prepaid) Source: Questionnaire No. of Retailers 6 11 43 Percentages 10% 18% 72%

Figure3. Representing telecom products services provided by retailers to customers

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 no. of retailers percentages

43

11 6

postpaid 6 10%

prepaid 11 18%

both 43 72%

Source: Questionnaire

Inference:
In the telecom industry, the companies are providing to customers prepaid and postpaid product services. In Prepaid, a tariff plan that fits usage and best budget. And in postpaid, companys offer which is customized to suit the customers calling needs. From the above table analysis it can be conclude that 72% retailers are providing prepaid and post paid both services. 18% retailers are providing only prepaid product services and 10% retailers are providing only postpaid services, they want to start postpaid services and prepaid services respectively.

Table4. Representing retailers opinion, about the company giving best services

Source: Questionnaire Company Name Aircel services Airtel services Idea services Vodafone services Reilance services Tata services BSNL services Virgin services Uninor services

No. of Retailers 5 14 7 8 19 6 1 0 0

Percentages 6% 23% 12% 13% 32% 10% 4% 0% 0%

Figure4. Representing retailers opinion, about the company giving best services
0 6 1 0 0 5

Aircel
14

Airtel Vodafone Tata virgin

Idea reliance

19 7 8

Bsnl uninor

Source: Questionnaire

Inference:

All telecom companies are providing best services from their competitors. In India, there are some domestic and foreign players like Airtel, Aircel, Reliance, BSNL, Tata and Vodafone, Uninor. From the above data analysis it can be conclude that Reliance communication is providing best service plans like free full talk time with new GSM activation even Airtel also providing good service plans from competitors. And rest of all companies wants to come closer to market for providing good services.

Table5. Representing Aircel features data

Aircel features plans GPRS Games Net And others Source: Questionnaire

No. of Retailers 28 2 16 11

Percentages 49% 6% 27% 18%

Figure5. Representing Aircel features data

OTHER NET GAMES GPRS

18% 27% 6% 2

11 16

49%

28

0
PERCENTAGES NO. OF RETAILERS Source: Questionnaire

5
GPRS 49% 28

10
GAMES 6% 2

15

20
NET 27% 16

25
OTHER 18% 11

30

Inference:

Telecom companies are providing features like GPRS, Games, Net, etc for companys subscribers and these is one way of helping for growth of companys revenue. Aircel Limited is also providing these features and from above analysis it can be conclude that Aircel is having high growth in GPRS and Net features services. 49% retailers opinion, Subscribers mostly like to use GPRS services and 27 % retailers opinion; subscribers like to use net facilities.

Table6. Representing companies best plans data

Name of the plans New Recharge vouchers plans New dialer tune plans New local and STD rate plans New internet plans Source: Questionnaire

No. of Retailers 25 6 21 8

Percentages 42% 10% 33% 15%

Figure6. Representing companies best plans data

new recharge voucher plans

25

new dailer tune plans new local and STDrate plans new internet plans

19

Source: Questionnaire

Inference:

All companies want to provide best service plans, they wants to compete with their competitors in the services. In the telecom industry, the companies are providing full talk time recharge vouchers, monthly latest dialer tunes, low call rates and other plans. With these plans every company wants to be a market leader. From 43% and 21% retailers opinion, companies want to compete through new recharge voucher plans and low call rate plans with other competitors, respectively. 14% retailers opinion, subscribers like to purchase monthly latest dialer tunes. And 10% retailers opinion, subscribers like to use new internet plans.

Table7. Representing last month best plans services.

Source: Questionnaire Company name Aircel services Airtel services Idea services Vodafone services Reilance services Tata services BSNL services Virgin services Uninor services

No. of Retailers 4 7 13 5 29 2 0 0 0

Percentages 6% 125 22% 8% 48% 4% 0% 0% 0%

Figure7. Representing last month best plans services.

29

30 25 20 15 10 5 0
4 6% 12% 22% 7 5 8% 13

48%

4%

0 0

0 0

0 0%

Source: Questionnaire

Inference:

From Indian market survey, telecom Industry had high growth from other industries in the last month. In Indian telecom industry some domestic and foreign players are there like Aircel, Airtel, Idea, Vodafone, Reliance, Tata, BSNL, Virgin, and Uninor. From the data analysis I got that 48% retailers perception, Reliance communication had given best plans through GSM services. 22% retailers perception, Idea cellular had given best plans through free full talk time with new activations. But BSNL and Virgin have no any subscribers because call charges are very high, services are same from last few months, they are investing less in advertising due to which the customers are not able to aware about plans offered by the company.

Table8. Representing Aircel connections plans

Aircel connection plan Low call rate Full talk time Double talk time Others Source: Questionnaire

No. of Retailers 30 16 4 10

Percentages 50% 27% 6% 17%

Figure8. Representing Aircel connection plans

30

30 25 20 15 10 5 0 low call rates Source: Questionnaire full talk time double talk time other
4 50% 27% 6% 17% 16 10

Inference:

Telecom companies are providing to subscribers best connection plans like low call rates, full talk time, double talk time and others. 50% retailers said that, the subscribers are taking Aircel services due to less call charges taken by the company because the customers have basically taking the SMS packages, STD call rates, etc. and 27% retailers said that, the subscribers like full talk time value vouchers. Company providing full talk time vouchers with mostly new activations or in some festivals plans that why subscribers come to attract over here.

Table9. Representing pricing of Aircel services

Pricing of Aircel services Low prices good prices Reasonable prices Costly prices Source: Questionnaire

No. of retailers 1 32 22 5

Perception 2% 52% 37% 9%

Figure9. Representing pricing of Aircel services

2% 9%

low prices good prices

37% 52%

reasonable prices costly prices

Source: Questionnaire

Inference:

Aircel limited providing all services behalf of investments. The subscriber taking Aircel services because the pricing of product service plans good and reasonable from other competitor companies. From the data analysis I got 52% retailers said that the pricing of Aircel services are good. And 37% retailers said that the pricing of Aircel services are reasonable.

CHAPTER 5

1. FINDINGS

2. CONCLUSION

3. SUGGESSTIONS

FINDINGS

1. All the retailers are dealing in all services i.e. providing Recharge Voucher, SIM, and Tariff Voucher of all the cellular service companies present in Hyderabad. Also most of them provide only pre-paid connection. 2. Around 15% of the respondents told that there is network problem with Aircel. 3. Some of the retailers i.e. around 34% of respondents are satisfied with Aircel brand, 30% of them push Aircel brand to the customer and rest 36% retailers are not satisfied with Aircel brand due to network problem in some area. 4. Some retailers are dissatisfied with company distributors. Distributors are not promissory to the retailers and sometimes, they hide the related information. 5. Customer care response is not so good. As a retailers told that, there is less security for them. 6. From the observation and the findings of the survey it comes out clearly that the retailers play a very vital role in acquiring customers by influencing their decision making in favors of the service provider which the retailers likes the most.

CONCLUSION

From the observation & finding of the survey its comes out clearly that the retailers play a very vital role for telecom service providers. Its also comes out clearly that profit margin not the only reason for which retailers sales a particular brand but other aspects such as services, schemes, pricing of product & services are equally important. 1. As per retailers Aircel should try to work on new marketing strategies for sales, pricing & services. 2. Most of the retailers feel that there is lack of good network availability and customer care as per other telecom brands. 3. Some of the retailers feel that there is scope for improvement in the case of Aircel distribution service. So if these problem areas are being worked upon by the Aircel there is every possibility in the near future that Aircel definitely move pass all other competitors & will be the preferred service provider of the retailers.

SUGGESTIONS

On the basis of extensive study and research, here are some suggestions which may help the company to market the product and service more profitability and increase its share in the Telecom market. 1. Product service tariff plans should be improved so that it will reach to every retailers and every level of customers. 2. Retailers suggest to Aircel limited, they should focus on advertisement & promotion activities. 3. As per retailers perception Aircel should go for occasional tariff plans offers or price off from time to time during any festival and off season discount offers may also prove helpful to check unpredictable sales. 4. Aircel should try to increase the efficiency of its sales person. Proper training should be given to them where they should be told as how to improve relation with the retailers, become a good listener, perform their duties efficiently so that overall satisfaction level of retailers can be increased 5. Now regarding the Service Quality, Aircel should try to improve its overall service quality by responding to the problems of retailers in time, by incorporating a more helping attitude, by providing fast service and having an empathetic look towards the retailers problem. 6. From the retailers survey it also came to light that Aircel is slow in processing, i.e. verification, sim-card delivery and activation. So Aircel should also try to improve upon this factor.

ANNEXURES

1. QUESTIONAIRE

2. BIBILIOGRAPHY

3. REFERENCE

QUESTIONAIRE
1. Name

-----------------------------------------------------------------------2. Name of the retail outlet. -----------------------------------------------------------------------3. How much activation, you have done in the last month? -----------------------------------------------------------------------4. How much activation, you have done in the last month in Aircel? -----------------------------------------------------------------------5. Which services, are you providing the customers? Postpaid Prepaid Both

6. From your perception, which company is giving the best services?

Aircel services Airtel services Idea services Vodafone services Reliance services Tata services BSNL services Virgin services Uninor services features subscribers like in Aircel services? GPRS GAMES NET OTHER

7. Which

8. For which plan Aircel Company is getting best response?

Recharge vouchers New Dialer tunes New local &ISD rates New internet rates 9. Which company had offered the best plans in the last month?

Aircel services Airtel services Idea services Vodafone services Reliance services Tata services BSNL services Virgin services Uninor services connection customers, prefers mostly in Aircel? Low call rate Double talk time Full talk time Other 11. What is your opinion towards the pricing of Aircel services? Costly prices Low prices High prices Reasonable prices 12. What is the cause of poor activation of Aircel in the last month? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. Which

BIBLIOGRAPY

1. Referred book Principles of Marketing Philips kotler Marketing Research G.C. Beri Research Methodology G.R. Kothari 2. Websites www.Google.com www.answer.com www.aircel.co.in