{{Other uses|Air cell (disambiguation){{!}}Air cell}}

{{Infobox company

|name = Aircel group

|logo = [[Image:Aircel Logo.svg|200px|Aircel logo]]

|type = [[Joint venture]]

|foundation = 1999

|company_slogan = The joy of a little extra

|company_vision =

|industry = Telecommunications

|location = [[Chennai]], [[Tamilnadu]], [[India]]

|revenue = [[US$]] {{profit}} 1.159 billion (2012)<ref>{{cite web| url=http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/top_stories/vnd100_2012vol-II/112072429.asp| publisher=Voice & Data| title=Aircel: Banking on the Future| date=2012-07-24}}</ref>

|key_people = [[Sandip Das]], Director <br/>

Kaizad Heerjee, COO<ref>[http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-08-03/news/33019948_1_aircel-director-sandip-das-aircel-spokesperson-maxis-communications-berhad Aircel appoints Kaizad Heerjee as Chief Operating Officer]</ref> <br/>

Anup Vikal, CFO<ref>[http://www.communicationstoday.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5753&Itemid=48 Anup Vikal has been appointed as the chief financial officer by Aircel]</ref> <br/>

Jean Pascal, Head Operating Division<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-01-10/news/30611721_1_aircel-coo-gurdeep-singh-maxis-communications-aircel-director |title=Aircel COO Gurdeep Singh resigns amid top management rejig |publisher=Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com |date=2012-01-10 |accessdate=2012-06-28}}</ref>

|parent = {{nowrap|[[Maxis Communications]] (74%)<ref name=maxisshare>{{cite web|url=http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/29/business/4598603&sec=business |title=The Star - Business - Maxis owns 74% of Aircel |publisher=Biz.thestar.com.my |date=2009-08-29 |accessdate=2012-06-28}}</ref>}}

|products = [[mobile phone|Mobile telephony]], [[Wireless broadband]] services

|homepage = {{URL|aircel.com}}

}}

'''Aircel group''' is an Indian [[mobile network operator]] headquartered in [[Chennai]], that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in India. It is a joint venture between [[Maxis Communications Berhad]] of Malaysia and Sindya Securities & Investments Private Limited, whose current shareholders are the Reddy family of Apollo Hospitals Group of India, with Maxis Communications holding a majority stake of 74%.<ref name=maxisshare /> Aircel commenced operations in 1999 and today is the leading mobile operator in Tamil Nadu, Assam, North-East India and Chennai.

It is India’s fifth largest GSM mobile service provider and seventh largest mobile service provider (both GSM and CDMA)<ref name=aircelshare>{{cite web| url=http://www.thinkdigit.com/Mobiles-and-PDAs/India-telecom-subscriber-base-drops-to-94481_10719.html| title=Drop in India telecom subscriber base| publisher=thinkdigit.com| date=2012-09-10}}</ref> with a subscriber base of over 63.35 million, {{as of|December 2012|lc=y}} with 62.24% of them being active. It has a market share of 7.33% among wireless operators (includes GSM, CDMA, and FWP operators) in the country.<ref name="trai.gov.in">[http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/PR-TSD-Dec2012.pdf TRAI Telecom Subscription Data - December 2012]</ref>

Aircel has also obtained permission from the [[Department of Telecommunications]] (DoT) to provide [[Long-distance calling|international long distance]] (ILD) and national long distance (NLD) telephony services. It also has the largest service in [[Tamil Nadu]].

==Timeline and early history==

Aircel started as a regional player in Tamil Nadu in 1999.<ref name="aircelbg">{{cite web| url=http://www.lightreading.in/document.asp?site=lrindia&doc_id=226988&page_number=1| title=Aicel: What the future holds| publisher=Light Reading India| date=2012-09-15}}</ref> Soon, it became the leading operator in Tamil Nadu. At one time, Aircel was the fastest growing operator in India.<ref name="aircelbg"/> Because of this, it attracted foreign investments and [[Malaysia]]n operator [[Maxis Communications]] bought a 74 percent stake in the company in 2005 from its Indian owner [[Chinnakannan Sivasankaran]].

In 2010, the company bough [[3G]] and [[wireless broadband]] (BWA) spectrum in 13 and 8 circles respectively in the [[Indian Telecom Spectrum Auction#2010 Spectrum Auction|2010 spectrum auction]].<ref name="aircelbg"/> It paid US$ 1.44 billion ({{INR}} 79.1 billion) for the 3G spectrum and US$ 0.76 billion ({{INR}} 49.76 billion) for BWA.<ref name="aircelbg"/> Of this, the company raised $0.88 billion ({{INR}} 48.3 billion) from Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC and Barclays. It also took a $0.44 billion ({{INR}} 24.2 billion) one-year bridge loan from HSBC, Punjab National Bank and Axis Bank.<ref name="aircelbg"/> The company, {{as of|November 2012|lc=y}}, has around 1 million 3G customers. It is yet to launch its [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]] network, although it is conducting trials at its center in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]]. Aircel expects to launch it in the first quarter of 2013.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.lightreading.in/document.asp?doc_id=222308| title=Aircel to trial next-gen hotspots| publisher=Light Reading India| date=2012-06-26}}</ref>{{update after|2013|04|01}}

==Core business==

===3G and BWA===

On 19 May 2010, the 3G spectrum auction in India ended. Aircel paid {{INR}} 6499.46 crores for spectrum in 13 circles – the least cost per circle compared to other operators. The circles it will provide 3G in are [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Assam]], [[Bihar]], [[Jammu & Kashmir]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]], [[Kolkata]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Chhattisgarh]], [[Northeast India|North East]], [[Orissa]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] (East) & [[Uttarakhand]] and [[West Bengal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.medianama.com/2010/05/223-3g-auction-india-ends-provisional-winners/ |title=India’s 3G Auction Ends; Operator And Circle-Wise Results |deadurl=no |accessdate=2013-05-21}}</ref>

On 11 June 2010, the [[Wireless broadband|broadband wireless access (BWA)]] spectrum auction in India ended. Aircel paid {{INR}} 3438.01 crores for spectrum in eight circles, the second highest wins overall - after [[Mukesh Ambani]] led Reliance Infotel. The circles it has won spectrum are [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Assam]], [[Bihar]], [[Jammu & Kashmir]], North East, [[Orissa]], [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[West Bengal]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.medianama.com/2010/06/223-indias-broadband-wireless-auction-ends-operator-circlewise-results/ |title=India’s Broadband Wireless Auction Ends; Operator & Circlewise Results |deadurl=no |accessdate=2013-05-21}}</ref> It also has 3G spectrum in all these circles.

Aircel has introduced new price plans for its consumers and are termed to be the cheapest in the country. Following the key players in 3G, Aircel also slashed its 3G tariff.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/telecom/Aircel-cuts-3G-tariffs-in-India/articleshow/13841425.cms |title=Aircel cuts 3G tariffs in India |date=5 June 2012 |deadurl=no |accessdate=2013-05-21}}</ref>

===3G coverage===

Aircel’s 3G service is currently available in the following cities and towns in 13 telecom circles:

{{Dynamic list}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|-

! Telecom Circle !!State/Region!! No. of towns !! Cities/Towns

|-

| Andhra Pradesh ||[[Andhra Pradesh]] || 12 || [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], [[Vijayawada]], [[Vizag]], [[Tirupati (city)|Tirupati]], [[Kurnool]], [[Nellore]], [[Kakinada]], [[Rajahmundry]], [[Guntur]], [[kadapa]], [[Karimnagar]], [[Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh|Nizamabad]], [[Warangal]]

|-

| Assam ||[[Assam]] || 6 || [[Guwahati]], [[Tinsukia]], [[Dibrugarh]], [[Jorhat]], [[Tezpur]], [[Sibsagar]]

|-

|rowspan="2" | Bihar

| [[Bihar]] || 5 || [[Patna]] Patna (Incl Danapur and Hajipur), Muzzafarpur, Katihar, Chapra and Gaya

|-

| [[Jharkhand]] || 2 || Jamshedpur,Ranchi,Dhanbad

|-

| Jammu & Kashmir || [[Jammu & Kashmir]] || 2 || [[Jammu]], [[Srinagar]]

|-

| Karnataka || [[Karnataka]]||16 || [[Bangalore]], [[Mysore]], [[Shimoga]], [[Hassan, Karnataka|Hassan]], [[Mangalore]], [[Mandya]], [[Gulbarga]], [[Dharwad]], [[Haveri]], [[Davangere]], [[Kolar]], [[Tumkur]], [[Udupi]], [[K.G.F]], [[Chikmagalur]], [[Chitradurga]], [[Maddur, Mandya|Maddur]]

|-

| Kerala || [[Kerala]] || 14 || [[Kochi]]/[[Ernakulam]], [[Kozhikode]], [[Palakkad]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Malappuram]], [[Kannur]], [[Thrissur]], [[Alappuzha]], [[Ambalapuzha]], [[Kollam]], [[Kottakkal]], [[Thalassery]], [[Kasaragod]], [[Manjeri]].

|-

| Kolkata^† || [[Kolkata]]^† || N/A|| N/A

|-

| Madhya Pradesh || [[Madhya Pradesh]] || 3 ||[[Ujjain]], [[Indore]], [[Bhopal]]

|-

|rowspan="6" | North East

| [[Arunachal Pradesh]] || 0 ||

|-

| [[Meghalaya]] || 1 || [[Shillong]]

|-

| [[Manipur]] || 1||[[Imphal]]

|-

| [[Mizoram]] || 0 ||

|-

| [[Nagaland]] || 2 ||[[Dimapur]], [[Kohima]]

|-

| [[Tripura]] || 1 ||[[Agartala]]

|-

| Orissa || [[Orissa]] || 4 || [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Rourkela]], [[Sambalpur]], [[Cuttack]], [[Balasore]]

|-

| Tamil Nadu ||[[Tamil Nadu]] ||3 || [[Chennai]], [[Madurai]], [[Coimbatore]], [[Salem]], [[Erode]], [[KSR College Tiruchengode - 637215]], [[Tirunelveli]], [[Hosur]], [[thirukovilur]], [[Tiruchirapalli]], [[Tiruchirapalli]]

|-

| Uttar Pradesh (East) || Eastern [[Uttar Pradesh]] || 6 || [[Lucknow]], [[Kanpur]], [[Allahabad]], [[Varanasi]], [[Jhansi]], [[Gorakhpur]]

|-

|West Bengal||[[West Bengal]]||4||[[Asansol]], [[Durgapur, West Bengal|Durgapur]], [[Siliguri]], [[Kharagpur, West Bengal|Kharagpur]]

|}

†<small>Kolkata is a metro circle and is not included in West Bengal circle, even though it is part of [[West Bengal]] state.</small>

===Aircel Business Solutions===

Aircel Business Solutions (ABS), part of Aircel, sells enterprise [[solution]]s such as [[Multiprotocol Label Switching]] [[Virtual Private Network]]s (MPLS VPNs), [[Voice over Internet Protocol]] (VoIP) and managed video services on wireless platforms including WiMAX.

===Other business initiatives===

Aircel on 27 May 2011 launched the Apple iPhone 4 apart from Bharti Airtel, which is one of the most popular smartphones in the contemporary world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://site2preview.com/aircel2010_new/ver1/iphone4/i-phone-LP.html |title=• Aircel • |publisher=Site2preview.com |date= |accessdate=2012-07-06}}</ref>

===Cost cutting===

As a part of a major re-organization in their operations, the company decided to halt operations in five telecom circles, namely [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Gujarat]], [[Haryana]], [[Rajasthan]] and [[Punjab]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_after-uninor-aircel-to-hang-up-in-5-circles_1752067| publisher=[[Daily News and Analysis]]| title=Aircel to withdraw from 5 circles| date=2012-10-13}}</ref> It also decided to cut 600 jobs.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/telecom/Aircel-to-cut-600-jobs/articleshow/16794330.cms| publisher=[[Times of India]]| date=2012-10-13| title=Aircel to cut 600 jobs}}</ref> This is part of a slew of steps to cut costs and thereby make the company more efficient in the highly competitive [[Communications_in_India#Mobile_Telephony|Indian telecom market]]. As of November 2012, Aircel has closed down dealerships in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, UP west and Gujarat. Only online recharge facility is available in these circles. Aircel still continues their operations in Rajasthan and Punjab as of November 2012. They have more than 26 [[lakh]] customers in Rajasthan circle and are adding about 1.4 lakh customers per month in this circle.

As per the December 2012 subscription data published by TRAI, Aircel had lost about 2 million subscribers and its subscriber base stood at 63.3 million. Major loss in subscribers were from UP West, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh - which accounted for 75% of the subscribers lost in December 2012.<ref name="trai.gov.in"/>

==Sponsorships and brand ambassadors==

Aircel is one of the sponsors of the [[Indian Premier League]] [[cricket]] team [[Chennai Super Kings]] and [[I-League]] side [[Shillong Lajong FC]]. It is also the major sponsors for the [[Chennai Open]] (the only [[Association of Tennis Professionals|ATP]] tennis tournament in [[India]]) and the Professional Golf Tour of India. Aircel also spearheads the Save the Tiger campaign for protecting India's tigers.

The brand ambassadors of Aircel include the Indian cricket team captain [[Mahendra Singh Dhoni]] and [[Tamil cinema|Tamil]] actor [[Suriya (actor)|Suriya]]. Aircel is also engaging with [[Mary Kom]], the female boxer, [[Dhanush]], another [[Tamil cinema|Tamil]] actor and [[Sameera Reddy]], a Bollywood actress for their Celebrity Chat series.<ref name="aircelbg3">{{cite web| url=http://www.lightreading.in/document.asp?site=lrindia&doc_id=226988&page_number=3| title=Aicel: What the future holds (Page 3)| publisher=Light Reading India| date=2012-09-15}}</ref>

==Share-holders==

Maxis, Aircel's majority stake holder at that time,{{When|date=February 2013}} raised {{INR}}11.2 billion (USD 3.36 billion) for its shareholders (UTSB), making it the largest IPO in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Maxis has 74% stake and the remaining 26% is owned by [[Apollo Hospitals]].

==Controversies and acquisition rumours==

Aircel is being investigated by [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] for alleged irregularities in the Maxis takeover. According to CBI, Aircel's previous owner C. Sivasankaran was forced to sell his stake to Maxis by the then Telecom Minister [[Dayanidhi Maran]] in 2005. As a result, Maxis did a ''quid pro quo'' investment of Rs. 5 billion in a DTH company owned by the Maran family.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Marans-got-Rs-550cr-bribe-in-Aircel-Maxis-deal-CBI/articleshow/15175723.cms| publisher=[[Times of India]]| date=2012-07-27| title=Maran-Maxis deal}}</ref>

There were also rumours in September 2012 that the Russian company [[Sistema]] was in talks to acquire Aircel. However, that hasn't been confirmed by either of the companies.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Sistema-in-talks-to-acquire-Aircel/articleshow/16388282.cms| publisher=[[Times of India]]| date=2012-09-14| title=Sistema to acquire Aircel?}}</ref> Sistema is the parent company of [[MTS India|MTS]], which is a CDMA operator in India.

Aircel was one among seven operators to receive notices from the [[Department of Telecommunications]] for not meeting [[Mobile_phone_radiation_and_health#Health_hazards_of_base_stations|radiation norms]] in their base tower stations in September 2012.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-14/telecom/33843566_1_radiation-norms-mobile-towers-antenna| publisher=[[Times of India]]| date=2012-09-14| title=Aircel gets DoT notice}}</ref>

As a part of its cost cutting practices, Aircel started scaling down services in five circles. However, Aircel also shut down many cell sites which left many of its customers without coverage. Users had to travel to areas covered by Aircel in order to obtain a porting code.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grahakseva.com/complaints/125005/aircel-network-closed |title=Aircel network closed |deadurl=no |accessdate=2013-05-21}}</ref>

==See also==

*[[Telecommunications Statistics in India]]

*[[Maxis Communications]]

*[[Dayanidhi Maran]]

*[[Mobile network operators of India]]

==References==

{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==

* {{Official website|http://www.aircel.com/ }}

* [http://www.aircel.com/business Aircel Business Solutions website]

{{Telecommunication companies of India}}

{{Major Indian companies}}

[[Category:Telecommunications companies of India]]

[[Category:Mobile phone companies of India]]

[[Category:Companies based in Chennai]]