Hello! Airtel vs Vodaphone

A neighbour has just quit Airtel to join the telecom department of a Middle East country. He came to say goodbye.

"So how's your company doing after Vodaphone came into India?" I asked.

The thinking inside Airtel, he tells me, is that Vodaphone is going to be a formidable rival. Since Vodaphone has an international network and deep pockets, Airtel is bracing for a long battle. The long term prospects, he said, weigh in favour of Vodaphone. (For the uninitiated, Hutch is now called Vodaphone in India).

I told him I had used a Hutch connection for a while, and then decided Airtel was best in the Karnataka circle. "Yes, it is No 1 for Airtel," he said. "Not Delhi, as many people think."

Airtel in Karnataka was reportedly run by a top class team, and staff from other states often went there to learn processes. "But things aren't the same any more," he said.