NEW DELHI, India-The ongoing tariff war in Indian cellular markets is seeing operators designing new packages to attract customers. Spice Telecom in Karnataka has launched a special package for women, which it claims is a “world first.”
The new service, called “Disha Spice,” will enable women customers to receive free airtime on both incoming and outgoing calls to one number of their choice at a rate of 50 rupees (US$1.03) per month. Regular subscribers are currently charged 125 rupees (US$2.57) per month for this option.
Spice is offering women more than just cheap talking. It is offering them access to “mobile-phone-based services,” including third-party services such as plumbing; carpentry; electrical work; home delivery of food, groceries and medicine; and repair of vehicles and home appliances. These services can be had by dialing 6650 and come with a 25-percent discount on their regular charges.
“About 10 percent of the mobile-phone users are women. And the cellular market offers no product exclusively for women. Disha is the world’s first cellular product exclusively for women,” said Sean C. Dexter, managing director at Spice Telecom.
With this service, Spice hopes to double its number of women subscribers from the current 20,000 within six months.
