Telecommunications in India has become a critical enabling infrastructure component. Enhanced competition enabled by key regulatory and technological changes has made better product/service choices available to the consumer. This, combined with increased affordability due to higher disposable incomes and reduced tariffs, and an overall change in consumer buying patterns, is likely to more than double the size of the Indian telecom market in the next 4-5 years.

Growth opportunities arising out these changes will indeed present new challenges to telecom operators, vendors and regulators alike. To effectively deal with them, operators and vendors will need to identify new markets, innovate on product and service offerings, and realign their processes/structures to become customer-oriented. Increased pressure on margins will require focused cost optimization, and entry of foreign players aided by the easing of FDI norms is likely to further impact the competitive landscape. Meanwhile, as technology blurs the differences between the telecom and broadcasting industries, convergence of technologies and markets will force a realignment of telecom business strategies. To succeed, players will need to continuously innovate and optimize their business models.

TSMG has assisted clients with strategy formulation, strategy deployment and competitiveness enhancement. Specifically, we have partnered them in developing innovative business models, formulating entry and growth strategies, evolving workable management contracts/lease arrangements, restructuring the organization and evaluating acquisition targets. We have worked closely with clients’ operational teams to execute strategies through development of annual operating plans and assistance in project management. In terms of competitiveness enhancement, our clients have benefited through the implementation of various initiatives like business process redesign, integrated cost optimization and productivity improvement.

We are also assisting our clients with their globalisation efforts through evaluation of key emerging markets and formulation of entry strategies.

TSMG’s telecom practice is the largest among all management consulting firms in India. Over the years, we have delivered a range of products and services to our telecom clients. They include some of the leading private operators in their respective industries, viz. fixed line, mobile, Internet, broadband and wholesale. The foundations of our success lie in the long-term partnerships we build with our clients, as a result of which they come back to us for more.

SM Wireless, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, Tata Teleservices, Tata Industries and TataNet are some of our key clients.