Telecom Wars

The Telecom Wars is a captivating account of India’s telecom sector evolution from a state-controlled monopoly to a private sector-led oligopoly, connecting over a billion people. The book took me through the long wait for landlines in the 1980s to the privatization boom of the 1990s, with major players like Bharti Airtel, BPL, and Reliance emerging. Deepali’s insightful narrative covers the political challenges, policy reforms, and the 2G spectrum scam that reshaped the industry. What stood out to me was her thorough research, particularly on Airtel’s rise, the Batata Saga, and the Hutchison-Max-Vodafone journey. The book also sheds light on RCom and Idea-Vodafone’s struggles which I saw playing out. A highlight is Reliance Jio’s groundbreaking 2016 move to offer free voice calls and ultra-cheap data. As India moves toward 5G and a digital future with AI, IoT, and smart cities, this book provides a detailed understanding of the sector’s growth and challenges.– “Ashu Suyash, founder, Colossa Ventures; former MD & CEO of CRISIL”

A fascinating account of the evolution of the telecom industry in India. From waiting nearly 18 years to get a landline connection to a mobile in the hands of a billion people is nothing short of a revolution which has acted as a great leveller irrespective of the level of education, literacy, size, wealth and position. Deepali has painstakingly researched and gathered data and information to weave a story with a lot of drama and suspense to keep reader interest alive. It has all the ingredients of a Wild West adventure–ruthless corporate rivalries, close relationships going sour, and the vagaries of government policies–which fluctuated and played favourites but often brought clarity and uniformity. Also excellently covered is the innovation in selection and use of technology and sales and marketing to match those in the FMCG industry, especially the sharp focus on penetration where the ultimate winner is the customer! This is a must read as what the book reflects is true for all industries in many countries.

Deepali Gupta, former senior assistant editor at the Economic Times, has been a financial journalist for two decades, covering the economy and large corporate houses in India.