1.

Introduction : - )
History of telecommunication in India: Telecom in the real sense means transfer of information between two distant points in space. The popular meaning of telecom always involves electrical signals and nowadays people exclude postal or any other raw telecommunication methods from its meaning. Therefore, the history of Indian telecom can be started with the introduction of telegraph. Introduction of telegraph In 1850, the first experimental electric telegraph Line was started between Kolkata and Diamond Harbor. In 1851, it was opened for the British East India Company. The Posts and Telegraphs department occupied a small corner of the Public Works Department at that time. Construction of 4,000 miles (6,400 km) of telegraph lines connecting Kolkata (Calcutta) and Peshawar in the north along with Agra, Mumbai (Bombay) through Sindwa Ghats, and Chennai in the south, as well as Ootacamund and Bangalore was started in November 1853. Dr. William OShaughnessy, who pioneered telegraph and telephone in India, belonged to the Public Works Department. He worked towards the development of telecom throughout this period. A separate department was opened in 1854 when telegraph facilities were opened to the public. Introduction of the telephone In 1880, two telephone companies namely The Oriental Telephone Company Ltd. And The Anglo-Indian Telephone Company Ltd. Approached the Government of India to establish telephone exchanges in India. The permission was refused on the grounds that the establishment of telephones was a Government monopoly and that the Government itself would undertake the work. In 1881, the Government later reversed its earlier decision and a license was granted to the Oriental Telephone Company Limited of England for opening telephone exchanges at Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Ahmedabad and the first formal telephone service was established in the country. 28 January 1882, is a Red Letter Day in the history of

telephone in India. On this day Major E. Baring, Member of theGovernor General of Indias Council declared open the Telephone Exchanges in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The exchange in Calcutta named Central Exchange was opened at third floor of the building at 7, Council House Street. The Central Telephone Exchange had 93 number of subscribers. Bombay also witnessed the opening of Telephone Exchange in 1882.

Latest updates : The Indian telecommunications industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. The industry has witnessed consistent growth during the last year on the back of rollout of newer circles by operators, successful auction of third-generation (3G) and broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum, network rollout in semi-rural areas and increased focus on the value added services (VAS) market. According to the data released by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the number of telephone subscribers in the country reached 806.13 million at the end of January 2011 from 787.28 million in December 2010, thereby registering a growth rate of 2.39 per cent. With this the overall tele-density (telephones per 100 people) has touched 67.67. The wireless subscriber base has increased to 771.18 million at the end of January 2011 from 752.19 million in December 2010, registering a growth of 2.52 per cent. Meanwhile, Indian Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) telecom operators added 14.69 million new subscribers in February 2011, taking the all-India GSM cellular subscriber base to 555.06 million, according to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The GSM subscriber base stood at 540.37 million at the end of January 2011. The sector will witness up to US$ 55.95 billion investments and the market will cross the US$ 100 billion mark in 5 years, according to consultancy firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG). BCG Indias Partner and Director, Arvind Subramanian said the industry will continue to grow at 12-13 per cent annually. (http://www.ibef.org/industry/telecommunications.aspx)

2. Major players :
In 1975, the Department of Telecom (DoT) was separated from Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service. DoT was responsible for telecom services in entire country until 1985 when Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL)was carved out of DoT to run the telecom services of Delhi and Mumbai. In 1990s the telecom sector was opened up by the Government for private investment as a part of Liberalisation-Privatization-Globalization policy. Therefore, it became necessary to separate the Government s policy wing from its operations wing. The Government of India 3orporatized the operations wing of DoT on 1 October 2000 and named it as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Many private operators, such as Reliance Communications, Tata Indicom,Vodafone, Loop Mobile, Airtel, Idea etc., successfully entered the high potential Indian telecom market.

BPL Mobile has had the privilege of serving the communications needs of the financial capital of India for the last 13 years. Now BPL Mobile is being rebranded as Loop Mobile in Mumbai. Loop Mobile, represents growth with continuity. While Loop constantly work towards giving our subscribers a better network, innovative products and a superior mobile telephony experience, its subscribers can be assured of the same focus and commitment in providing the best network coverage, billing accuracy, and an unmatched personalized customer service.

Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) is a part of the Tata Group of companies, an Indian conglomerate. It operates under the brand name Tata Indicom in various telecom circles of India. The company forms part of the Tata Group s presence in the Telecommunication Industry in India, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited (TTML) and TATA COMMUNICATIONS LTD.

Reliance Telecom and Flag Telecom, is part of Reliance Communications Ventures (RcoVL). It is an Indian telecommunications company. According to National Stock Exchange data, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani controls 66.77 per cent of the company, which accounts for more than 1.36 billion shares.

BSNL is a public sector telecommunication company in India. It is Indias largest telecommunication company with 24% market share as on March 31, 2008. Its headquarters are at Bharat Sanchar Bhawan, Harish Chandra Mathur Lane, Janpath, New Delhi. It has the status of Mini Ratna, a status assigned to reputed public sector companies in India.

IDEA Cellular is part of the Aditya Birla Group, Indias first truly multinational corporation. The group operates in 25 countries, and is anchored by over 100,000 employees belonging to 25 nationalities. The Group has been adjudged The Best Employer in India and among the Top 20 in Asia by the Hewitt-Economic Times and Wall Street Journal Study 2007.

MTNL is an Indian Government-owned telephone service provider in the cities of Mumbai, Thane, New Delhi, and Navi Mumbai in India. The company was a monopoly until 2000, when the telecom sector was thrown open to other service providers. Vodafone : It is a global telecommunications company. Vodafone Essar, previously Hutchison Essar is a cellular operator in India that covers 23 telecom circles in India.

It is the worlds largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the worlds second-largest measured by subscribers (behind China Mobile), with around 332 million proportionate subscribers as of 30 September 2010. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comminications_in_india) Bharti Airtel:

COMPANYs

PROFILES:

It is the largest India mobile operator by subscriber base. Commonly known as Airtel, is an Indian telecommunications company that operates in 19 countries across South Asia, Africa and the Channel Islands. Airtel also offers fixed line services and broadband services. Airtel is the largest cellular service provider in India and fifth largest in the world present in Delhi (Metro), Mumbai (Metro), Kolkata (Metro), Chennai (Metro), Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, North East, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (E), Uttar Pradesh (W), West Bengal (COAI). Airtel won 3G spectrum in 13 circles: Delhi, Mumbai, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh (West), Rajasthan, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, North East, Jammu & Kashmir for Rs. 12,295 crores. Bharti Airtel wins Total no. of subscribers during February, 2011:

Sl.

Feb2011 (COAI) Name of Company

Total no. of subscribers

No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Bharti Airtel Vodafone Essar IDEA BSNL Aircel Uninor Videocon MTNL Loop Mobile Stel Etisalat

158,998,869 130,920,732 86,800,809 85,098,200 53,500,469 21,577,497 6,564,083 5,178,617 3,079,281 2,692,462 652,370

3. Challenges faced by industry:

Growth of Indian telecommunication market is very high; therefore, it attracts more overseas competitors. Mobile number portability increases the chances of migration of the customers to other brands. The new competitors come with latest technology, therefore, it is compelled to increase the expenditure on Research & Development, which Increase the cost of existing brands.

4. REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
Customers satisfaction has been conceptualized in several ways. It consists of expectation, performance interaction, pleasure/displeasure, and the evolution of the benefits of consumption. Satisfaction is a persons feelings of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a products perceived performance in relation to his or her expectations. Customer Satisfaction was reviewed as either as an outcome or a process. It is a cornerstone of every business (Philip Kotler, 2005).

5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH STUDY:

An attempt in this research study has been made to outline following important decisions. 5.1 Rationale of the Research Study: The proposed research study would report on selected customers satisfaction on telecommunication services provided by Bharti airtel. The research study would be undertaken to study and submit report on selected mobile sim users feedback with regard to Selected Services as offered by the telecommunication provider to its customers, located in the Vadodara City in the State of Gujarat.

5.2 Scope and Coverage of the Research Study: The research study would be undertaken to study and submit report on selected simcard users of Bharti Airtels feedback with regard to Selected Services as offered by the Bharti Airtel telecommunication services provider to its customers, located in the Vadodara City in the State of Gujarat. 5.3 Objectives of the Research Study: The researcher has offered following list of objectives for the proposed research study. To collect data from selected Airtels simcard users from the Vadodara city in the State of Gujarat. To know their preference towards services provided by Bharti Airtel telecommunication services. To measure selected simcard users overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction as experienced and reported by selected respondents from the Vadodara city in the State of Gujarat. To evaluate the actual experience of selected respondents of vadodara city.

5.4 Research Design: The research design of the proposed research study considering its objectives, scope and coverage would be and Descriptive in nature. The primary data shall be collected from those simcard users located in the Vadodara city in the State of Gujarat, who have availed services provided by Airtel. 5.4.1 Sources of Information: Sources of information have been divided as follows. 5.4.2 Secondary Data: The researcher would make use of various kinds of secondary sources such as Research Journals; Business Magazines; Business News Papers; Published and

Unpublished Studies as well as Websites and Search Engines will also be put to use by the researcher in this research study. 5.4.3 Primary Data: The researcher would collect necessary information and data on the selected topic of the proposed study with the help of personal visits of various simcard service users, located in the Vadodara city. 5.4.4 Research Instrument: The researcher would make use of Structured Non-Disguised Questionnaire for the collection of the primary data from the selected simcard service users on the various kinds of selected services as offered to them by the Airtel. 5.4.2 Sampling Decisions: Sampling decisions would mainly consist of following. 5.4.2.1 A Representative Sample: The primary data from current mobile simcard users, located in the Vadodara city in the State of Gujarat, who have availed services as offered by Airtel, shall be regarded as a representative sample unit in this research study. 5.4.2.2 Sampling Size: Adequate number of sampling units would be considered and drawn for the purpose of the collection of the primary data from amongst the simcard service users, located in the Vadodara city in the State of Gujarat 5.4.2.3 Sampling Design & Methods: The researcher proposes to make use of Non-Probability Sampling Design or Approach based on Convenience Sampling Methods that would be put to use for the collection of the primary data from amongst the service users, located in the Vadodara city in the

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State of Gujarat, who have availed various kinds of simcard services as offered by the various telecommunication companies. 5.4.2.4 Sampling Media: The representative samples would be drawn in person by administering Structured NonDisguised Questionnaire by the researcher for the collection of the primary data from amongst the service users, located in the Vadodara city in the State of Gujarat, who have availed various kinds of simcard services as offered by the various service providers.

6.0 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH STUDY:

As on date the various simcard services provides us as adopted the marketing culture to provide satisfaction to their customer. The study will help & throw light on the level of satisfaction customers with simcard services providers. It will be helpful to the simcard service providers to know how the customer will respond to their marketing statergy. It will help to simcard service providers in order to determine their marketing strategy , plans ,policies programmers &s strategy in near future. Simcard service providers will be able to find out innovative way to providing services on the basis of the service offered by the customers because of the proposed research study.

7.0 LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH STUDY:

Field study would mainly be undertaken based on collection of primary data and information mainly from urban population, it would be inappropriate to generalize it as fit and good for the whole population. The study shall be mainly carried out in the Vadodara city in the State of Gujarat; hence this research work does not aimed to cover the total picture of rural customers. Findings can be applied to only selected sample size and care must be taken while applying to the other group of service users .

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8.0 STRUCTURE & CHAPTERIZATION SCHEME:

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Introduction A Brief Review Bharti Airtel telecommunication Services Marketing of Bharti Airtel Services. Research Methodology Data Analysis & Interpretation Conclusion and Suggestion of the Research Study

9.0 SELECTED REFERENCES:

http://www.ibef.org/industry/telecommunications.aspx. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comminications_in_india.
http://greenworldinvestor.com/2011/04/19/telecom-industry-india-list-of-telecom-companies-incrowded-market-scams3gcompetitionsubscribers/.

http://www.oppapers.com/essay/The-likely-Bharti-Airtel-Mtn/238156 & mobile_operators _in_ India - wikipedia encyclopedia. Philip Kotler (2005). Marketing Management; Prentice hall of India.