Tag: India

UAE’s Etisalat SMS money transfer service to India from June

Posted by | Apr 1, 2008 | |

From June onwards, UAE-based Indian workers can send money home through a short message service (SMS) on their mobile phones with connection to the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation, called Etisalat. Consumers will be given an m-wallet on to which money can be transferred from their partner-bank accounts.

The service will be extended by the end of this year to include the Philippines, Egypt and Pakistan. The next in line are Jordan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, working in the order of migrant workforce in the UAE.

The pilot service is currently partnering with Mashreq Bank, UAE’s largest private bank, and Indian businesses Tata Communications, Idea Cellular and HSBC India and remittances may be received at 40,000 bank branches across India.

The UAE has 150 per cent mobile-phone market penetration or 6.4 million cellular phones in use. Money remitted by UAE expatriates through the banking system is estimated at Dh25.7 billion (USD 7 billion) in 2005.

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The Department of Posts (India) stamps out French connect in parcel entity

Posted by | Mar 29, 2008 | |

The Department of Posts ( DoP) has objected to the plans of GeoPost—French state-run postal services utility La Poste’s subsidiary—to acquire a controlling 60 pct stake in Indian express parcel delivery firm Continental Air Express. The proposal, formally rejected by the foreign investment promotion board (FIPB), could set a precedent, given that the India Post Office Act is in the process of being amended and one proposal calls for a FDI cap in Indian courier companies.

As per global regulations, an operator seeking to establish an Extraterritorial Office Of Exchange (ETOE), i.e. a postal services operation overseas, needs to get an ‘agreement’ from the respective member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). This means that GeoPost would need an okay from Indian authorities as India is a UPU member.

Currently, FDI up to 100pct is allowed in courier services for carrying packages, parcels and other items that do not come under the ambit of the India Post Office Act. While the FDI policy does not draw a distinction between investment made by a foreign private firm and a foreign government-owned entity, DoP’s prime objection in this case is with respect to La Poste’s move to circumvent UPU regulations.

GeoPost had argued that it is a separate La Poste business that focuses on premium parcels and hence, UPU obligations do not apply. Moreover, its operations in other countries have not triggered such disputes with local operators. GeoPost had also cited DHL’s example, wherein the majority stake is held by Germany’s Deutsche Post, which is also a UPU member, but is operating in India.

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Decision on opening Indian Postal Bank to be taken soon

Posted by | Mar 24, 2008 | |

With the Indian postal services already offering deposit and savings schemes, the government is likely to soon float an Indian Postal Bank as the matter is awaiting approval of the finance ministry, Shakeel Ahmad, minister of state for communication and information technology, stated here today.

He said that the matter of opening the Indian Postal Bank was under consideration of the government and had been put before the finance ministry. “A final decision would soon be taken,” he said. It would help to extend banking services into many rural areas, he added.

The government would be spending Rs 6,000 crore for computerizing the whole postal network. “Despite a drop in mail services, the world’s largest postal service was still effectively serving 72 percent of the country’s population,” said Ahmad.

Looking to add other services, many post offices had started offering railway booking facilities in the country. Local tie-ups for making available low airline tickets through post offices was also being explored and had already been started in Karnataka state, the minister informed.

He said that as part of e-governance, the government was spending Rs 6,000 crore for setting up 1 lakh community service centres, one for each panchayat in the country by 2009.

Talking about expansions plans of BSNL, he said only recently tenders for additional 4.5 crore new lines had been floated. He added that 2G spectrum had been allotted and 3G spectrums would be soon handed out through an open auction system.

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TNT progresses towards full integration of Speedage

Posted by | Mar 18, 2008 | |

TNT announces the successful integration of its Indian road express division, TNT Speedage, into TNT’s global information technology system, called Global Link. As a result, customers using TNT’s domestic road infrastructure in India can now benefit from a 24-hour real-time track and trace facility of their shipments. The IT upgrade is a major step towards the transformation of Speedage into a full-fledged express delivery services business completely integrated in TNT’s global network.

TNT now offers a common IT network for all its branches in India, including 168 Speedage offices. TNT has invested approximately euro 4 million (INR 18 Crores) in hardware and IT network to achieve a complete Internet and computer sharing during the IT integration process. All 168 Speedage locations are connected to TNT’s Bangalore data centre, using MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching Architecture), IVPN and dial up networks. This launch makes TNT India the first multinational express services company to provide a single platform to track any consignment shipped through TNT – be it international or domestic, air or road.

Global Link is backed by PC-based Customer Interface Technology (CIT) tools that enable customers to book consignments online, view consignment status and history, and access proof of delivery. TNT offers a secure online environment, which protects customers’ confidential shipping information.

In India, TNT’s IT Data center is located at ITPL Bangalore. TNT’s full-fledged global IT hub is in Atherstone, UK. It houses a 24- hour real time online Track and Trace system, which is linked worldwide and is continuously updated, second to second.

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Blue Dart to replace Boeing 737 with 757

Posted by | Mar 17, 2008 | |

Move will help the company increase its carrying capacity without increasing fleet size.

The Chennai-based air cargo company, Blue Dart Aviation, has decided to replace all its four ageing Boeing 737 cargo aircrafts with the Boeing 757. The move is primarily aimed at augmenting carrying capacity without increasing the current fleet size of seven.

Last year, the company inducted a 757 freight carrier, which was its seventh from DHL Expresses’ European Air Transport. DHL Express holds 81 per cent stake in Blue Dart.

Tushar Jani, chairman, Blue Dart Aviation, said, “We cannot increase our fleet size because of lack of parking space at airports and hence will replace the Boeing 737 with Boeing 757.”

The company intends to have a mix of leased and owned 757-200 SF (special freighters). At present, the cost of a Boeing 757-200 SF (special freighters) is about USD 80-85 million.
The replacement of aircrafts will help the company increase its carrying capacity by 32 per cent from 148 tonnes to 196 tonnes by the end of 2011.
The replacement initiative comes at a time when the company is optimistic about starting scheduled overseas operations, perhaps this year.

Company executives said the move would help improving aircraft utilisation due to increased flying hours. The company currently is evaluating commercial viability of flying to overseas destinations.

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