Vodafone Idea had no chance of averting a painful death. Then it did exactly that

Vodafone Idea (Vi) had no hope of escaping its impending demise. However, it managed to do precisely that. During a sales pitch in West Delhi, a representative touted the operator's growing subscriber base and improved network coverage. She even mentioned that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan had joined Vi, seemingly hoping to sway the potential customer's decision.

Since 2021, Vi has been able to stop the decline in subscribers, with the count increasing every month. As of now, the operator boasts around 195 million subscribers. Despite facing stiff competition from Airtel and Jio, who added subscribers at faster rates during the same period, Vi's user count has also been on an upward trend. BSNL, another player, added just 250,000 subscribers in the same timeframe.

At Vi's annual general meeting in August, chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla emphasized that 2027 would be the year of execution and delivery. The company aimed to tackle legacy issues, restore financial flexibility, invest in network infrastructure, and rebuild momentum. The enthusiasm for these changes was evident in retail outlets across major Indian cities, with representatives aggressively promoting Vi's subscriber growth and enhanced offerings like unlimited data and discounted plans.

However, attracting new subscribers is not enough for Vi to succeed. Retaining existing customers is equally, if not more, crucial. Experts like telecom advisor Rahul Suri pointed out that while promotions might result in a temporary increase in gross additions, factors such as retention, usage, average revenue per user, distribution reach, network quality, and the ability to convert customers into long-term users ultimately determine the true value of such promotions.