Telecom service providers are facing a tough time amidst falling margins, price war, entry of 3G and impending Mobile Number Portability (MNP).

Indian telecom industry has come a long way from the days of monopoly till the early 1990s and has evolved into a vibrant market. Today, it is one of the fastest growing markets in the world, both in terms of manufacturing and services, and has become one of the primary drivers of economic development. It has emerged as the second largest global telecom market. Indian telecom market has witnessed an infrastructure rollout of a magnitude, not seen in the global economy for a long time. For instance, one of the biggest telecom players has installed, in the past 12 months, as much network as Germany did in the past 15 years.

The miracle growth of the sector resembles the rolling out of highways in the 1950s in the US. It has shown massive upsurge in recent years and has evolved as one of the most competitive industries in the world. Estimates indicate that India is currently adding 8-10 million mobile subscribers every month. According to the data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the total telecom subscriber base of India stood at 653.92 million by the end of May 2010, with the overall teledensity reaching 55.38%. World Bank estimates indicate that every 10 percentage point increase in mobile penetration produces 0.81% economic growth. The spread of telecommunication in the rural India has boosted access to healthcare and other essential services. Following the mobile telephony revolution, one in every two Indians owns a mobile phone and top mobile players like Bharti, Reliance and Vodafone boast of a subscriber base of over 100 million each.

The Analyst Magazine, Indian Telecom Industry, Telecom Service Providers, Mobile Number Portability, Economic Development, Global Telecom Market, Indian Telecom Market, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI, Mobile Telephony Revolution, Telecom Services Sector, Mobile Communications, Emerging Market, Business Model, Mobile Data Services.