SRINAGAR: To assert its market position in Jammu and Kashmir, Vodafone India is going on an expansion spree in the state with the roll-out of more than 200 new sites (towers) in the state in financial year 13-14,
“Vodafone has increased its coverage network by 20 percent and now covers 62 percent of the population in J&K,” Vodafone’s business head for J&K, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, Asit Shekhar told media person here.
The expansion has taken place in Billawar, Basoli and Samba in Jammu division and in Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Patan, Sumbal, Bandipora, Kupwara and Budgam in Kashmir divisions, he said.
“Vodafone has also ramped up its retail presence with the launch of six new Vodafone Mini-Stores across the state and the newly opened ROTO store in Jammu, the second ROTO store in the state,” Shekhar said.
The first ROTO store was opened in Srinagar in 2012. Out of the six new Vodafone Mini-Stores, two have come up in Surankote and Naushera in Jammu while four have come up in Qazigund, Chadoora, Ganderbal and DH Pora in Kashmir.
Shekhar said: “The network expansion in J&K has helped Vodafone in providing its customers superior connectivity, which has translated into greater customer satisfaction. The retail expansion has made our services more accessible to our customers and has given us an opportunity to connect better with our customers”.
With 56 touch-points in the J&K circle, Vodafone has the largest retail network in the state now, he claimed. “The retail expansion has shown that the telecom major is well-placed to cater to the requirements of its growing customer base in the region.”
He said Vodafone’s J&K subscription has reached to 7.4 lakh customers with market revenue share of 9.1 percent in the state during the third quarter of current fiscal.

Reader correspondent