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Case Code: CLOM003
Case Length: 5 pages 
Period: -  
Pub Date: 2009
Teaching Note: Not Available
Subject : Operations
Price:Rs.100
Organization :-
Industry : Telecom
Countries : -

Bharti Airtel Limited: Focusing on Cost Optimization and Employee Productivity

 

ABSTRACT

Faced with intensifying competition and the global economic slowdown, Bharti Airtel Limited. (BAL) focused on cost optimization. In 2008, it merged operations across its telecom circles and in the later part it also discontinued certain sops to customers such as "free minutes". In the subsequent months, the company was able to increase its employee productivity. However, the company was facing a decrease in the average revenue per user (ARPU), minutes per use (MoU) per subscriber, and revenue from SMS and non-voice services. While experts appreciated its ability to increase productivity, they felt that its decision to discontinue offers such as "free minutes" could prove to be costly.
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Issues:

  • Cost optimization.
  • Productivity.
  • Employee efficiency.
Introduction
Bharti Airtel Limited. (BAL), the leader in the Indian telecom industry, is well known for its cost efficiencies. While traditionally, telecom companies relied on heavy investment in capital expenditure to install the infrastructure followed by regular operating expenditure to maintain the infrastructure , BAL did the opposite...

Questions for Discussion:
1. Critically analyze BAL's cost optimization measures with the emphasis on its decision to merge operations across its telecom sectors.

2. What are the factors that influence employee productivity? How can these be measured?

3. Do you think that discontinuing offers such as "free minutes" in a bid to increase realization rates a prudent decision in the highly competitive Indian telecom market? Discuss.

Keywords

Bharti Airtel,free minutes,BAL



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