Post Offices To Sell Reliance Prepaid Vouchers

[Arun 795]

DAKC (Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City), Navi Mumbai, January 27, 2005

Reliance Infocomm and the Department of Posts have entered into an arrangement for the selling of Reliance IndiaMobile(RIM) Prepaid Recharge Vouchers (RCVs) at post offices.

Initially, the RCVs will be sold at select post offices in Andhra Pradesh.

Announcing, the tie-up, S.P. Shukla, President-Wireless Products and Services, Reliance Infocomm, said: "The marketing arrangement with the Department of Posts in Andhra Pradesh is a step forward towards increasing the availability of RIM Prepaid Vouchers. We look forward to the success of this initiative and subsequently extending it to the rest of the country for greater customer convenience."

T.S. Govindarajan, Chief Post Master General, Andhra Pradesh Circle, said, "The massive infrastructure of the Postal Department that covers all parts of the state and the country has been well used by the people for generations. Today, the Post Office is a multi-service point for customers, and we are happy to tie up with Reliance Infocomm."

R. Balachandran, CEO AP Circle, Reliance Infocomm, said: "As Reliance Infocomm's network coverage in Andhra Pradesh expands rapidly to cover the entire state, post offices become an ideal additional sales channel for RIM RCVs."

The RCVs will initially be available at six outlets in the state. They are the GPO and S.R. Nagar post office in Hyderabad, Secundarabad head post office, Vijayawada, Karimnagar and Adoni post offices. As Reliance Infocomm expands its network in AP, the RIM Prepaid RCV's would be available at up to 104 Head Post Offices, 2,364 sub post offices and over 13,000 branch post offices across the state.

About Department of Posts and Andhra Pradesh Circle:

The Department of Posts of the Government of India is the world's largest postal network. Post offices in the country are ubiquitous and enjoy a unique place in people's minds and hearts. To millions of Indians, especially in the hinterland, the post office has for years been provider of basic communication services like collection and delivery of mail, selling of postal stationary, money order, insurance, and savings bank products.

The present Andhra Pradesh Postal Circle, formed in 1960, also covers Yanam, which falls under the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The state with 16,197 post offices has the second largest postal network after Uttar Pradesh. In 1960, there were 9,300 post offices there. Ninety two per cent of the 16,167 post offices are in the rural areas. On an average, a rural post office in Andhra Pradesh serves 18.20 sq.kms or a population of 3,716. The circle has 48,347 staff, including 29,235 Grameen Dak Sewaks.

[rakesh5295 0]

This necessary as relaince is going to start it services in various small villages which may not have proper shops to sell their vouchers and people in such villages mostly prefer prepaid onyl instead of postpaid and post office is the only service provider whole over india. so its best to tie up with it. but in metros nobody will approach post office due to thoer rigid working style.

[chandramauli 0]

it seems they are soon gonna take charge of the postal dept too ... :-)

[rim-matrix 0]

may be rakesh, u r right.

But one thing is for sure that they do have very good relations with top govt officials!

Any way, good move, nice business strategy and also good for so many people.

[imvikky 0]

The way company has been going if they don't split up then soon you'll find that the post offices in those places would change over to Web worlds also selling postage stamps....

[rakesh5295 0]

Anybody purchased from posst offices the vouchers. here in thane i havent seen post offices selling rpeiad vouchers.