– How industry titans fought to put a mobile in every Indian hand
– From monopoly to mobile revolution – the race of industry players to capture a billion voices
– The high-stakes war that transformed India’s telecom landscape
Today, mobile connections are so readily accessible that it is perhaps easy to forget the time when only the elite had access to a phone provided by the sole operator: the Government of India. It all changed in the early 1990s as liberalisation stirred the Indian economy out of its decades of complacency.
The Telecom Wars: The Race to Capture a Billion Voices begins its narration from those times, traversing the uncertain early years of the mobile phone industry. It vividly portrays the fierce competition as Tata, Birla, Reliance, and Bharti bid to capture the lion’s share of India’s billion voices. As they did, India’s institutions to regulate and manage the sector also evolved—the ministry separated from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), and state-run operators MTNL and BSNL also joined the fray. Policy makers, entrepreneurs, and bureaucrats worked tirelessly to change India’s cellular topography.
Two major scams, five billionaires, and a nation in crisis – Telecom Wars: The Race to Capture a Billion Voices is the tale of India’s coming of age.
Fast-paced and expertly written, Deepali Gupta’s account is both a comprehensive history and a work of great business insight.
ADVANCE PRAISE:
‘Deepali has done painstaking research and has gathered data and information to weave a story with a lot of drama and suspense to keep alive the interest of the reader. It has all the ingredients of a Wild West adventure—ruthless corporate rivalries, close relationships going sour and the vagaries of government policies —which did fluctuate and play favourites but often brought clarity and uniformity.’-
— Ravi Kant, former managing director, CEO and vice chairman, Tata Motors
‘The most compelling stories are told by those who have lived them from the front row. Only a few understand the telecom sector as deeply as Deepali Gupta, and this book offers an insightful look into a complex industry. But what sets it apart is how it goes beyond the data and policy to capture the human stories that shaped its biggest moments, making it an engaging and memorable read.’
— Anish Shah, group CEO and MD, Mahindra Group
‘The Telecom Wars is a captivating account of India’s telecom sector evolution from a state-controlled monopoly to a private sector-led oligopoly, connecting over a billion people.’
…..’As India moves toward 5G and a digital future with AI, IoT and smart cities, this book provides a detailed understanding of the sector’s growth and challenges.’
—Ashu Suyash, founder, Colossa Ventures, and former MD and CEO, Crisil
About The Author:
Deepali Gupta
Deepali Gupta, former senior assistant editor at the Economic Times, has been a financial journalist for two decades, covering the economy and large corporate houses in India. Over the span of her career, she has worked with the Indian Express Group, Network18, Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires.
