According to Khosla, Vodafone Idea‘s short-term goals are to increase customer loyalty, fortify its core clientele, and boost ARPU growth through unique products.
Chief Marketing Officer Avneesh Khosla told Moneycontrol that Vodafone Idea (Vi) is focusing more on improving customer experience, increasing ARPU, and reestablishing brand trust as it speeds up its 5G deployment in 17 priority circles and 29 cities.
According to Khosla, in order to improve client retention and spur advancements in a highly competitive market, Vi‘s redesigned marketing and network strategy now focuses on value-driven offers and deeper customer involvement.
According to Khosla, Vodafone Idea‘s short-term goals are to increase customer loyalty, fortify its core clientele, and boost ARPU growth by launching unique products.
He cited the company’s “SuperHero” and “Hero Unlimited” programs as illustrations of how consumer insight-driven offerings may advance customers along the value chain.
“We based our strategies on actual issues like data crises, weekend data requirements, and overnight consumption. When you address their problems, customers are eager to pay,” he stated. “Today’s consumers pay more because they perceive value, not because prices have increased.”
He went on to say that Vi’s postpaid business, which had historically been a bastion of the brand, is gaining fresh traction because of premium plans like RedX and Red Family. In order to increase retention among high-value consumers, they include international roaming, airport lounge access, and unlimited data.
“Both revenue and net additions are increasing for our postpaid business. Better experience, increased retail access, and restored trust are the foundations of this compelling story,” Khosla stated.
Rollout of 5G and Network Reconstruction
Even though Khosla acknowledged that Vi’s 5G rollout was “delayed,” the business is now speeding up its deployment throughout its 17 priority circles, which has already covered 29 locations.
“The first reaction has been really positive. Consumption and adoption have greatly exceeded our internal projections,” he stated.
However, he pointed out that while 4G continues to provide an effective experience for the majority of users, 5G’s true impact falls in enterprise use cases.
In 99 percent of use cases, 4G is now effective. “4G to 5G is more about efficiency and new possibilities, especially in the B2B domain.” “3G to 4G was a tremendous leap,” he remarked.
Beyond extending coverage, Khosla said Vi’s marketing is now concentrated on repairing network perception and trust — long considered as a weak place for the brand amid financial issues.
“We have run significant campaigns to strengthen our network. In order to show off our better network experience locally, we are also communicating hyper-locally wherever 5G rollouts take place,” he stated.
Khosla went on to say that partnerships are still “a critical aspect of Vi’s marketing and customer experience goal.” The business will shortly reveal important new partnerships in the digital and content ecosystems.
He said that, like the others, “we are now present across all of our 17 priority circles – practically pan-India.” “You will see much more from us in networks, brand narrative, and customer experience as the ominous skies clear.”
The telco stated that despite its push for 4G and 5G, 2G will stay relevant in India due to a sizable customer base that still uses 2G networks and the notable pricing difference between 2G and 4G devices.
For the foreseeable future, a significant portion of India’s mobile consumers will stick with 2G handsets, primarily because of financial constraints. The cost difference between 2G and 4G cellphones is still very large. A 2G phone costs between Rs 700 and Rs 800, but a 4G phone costs more than Rs 6,000. 2G will continue to be relevant as long as that gap persists, according to Khosla. “There is a clear market and need, as approximately four million 2G handsets are still sold each month.”