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ACT Corp<\/a> started in Bengaluru back in 2000 as a cable TV service provider. Today, it is one of the country’s largest wired broadband<\/a> service players. ACT<\/a> says it’s the third biggest, after BSNL and Airtel.
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\nCable TV and broadband is a tough business, even in India's metros. In Bengaluru, as in other cities, it is run mostly by local players, often with the blessings of local politicians. So corporate players who enter the business are often forced to pay them a commission of up to 10% on every connection. Even after that, it is not unusual to have wires being cut by the local players, and police often acting helpless.
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\nACT was not immune to this. Asked about it, the company said it does not want to discuss the matter. But it acknowledged that this was the reason why it is still not present in many parts of the city.
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\n\"This was one of the reasons we did not enter HSR Layout till a year ago. Our idea was to stay clean and transparent,\" says Bala Malladi, chief executive of ACT. Despite such challenges, the company now has a presence in 11 cities across the south, and in Delhi. From 100 employees and 45,000 customers in 2008, the year it entered the internet broadband space, it today has 6,500 employees and 1.2 million customers.
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ACT (short for Atrium Convergence Technologies) was founded by Sunder Raju<\/a>, a technology professional with a Masters’ degree incomputer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was a key player in setting up Sunray Computers<\/a> in 1981, and later helped found the Atria Group in Bengaluru.
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When ACT decided to move into broadband and IPTV in 2008, private equity firm True North<\/a> (then known as India Value Fund Advisors - IVFA<\/a>) came in as investors. The Rs 300 crore funding was used to create the digital TV and broadband business and to buyout several local cable and broadband players across south India. In 2015, IVFA, together with private equity firm TA Associates, invested $500 million. \"Sunder wanted to make this a modern professional company. There were not many organised players for investors in this sector,\" says Malladi, who joined post the funding in 2008.
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For Malladi, who previously worked with Hindustan Unilever<\/a> (HUL) for 15 years, this was a big shift. He was managing the logistics and back-end operations of HUL's food business, worth $500 million. When he moved to ACT, it had revenue of just Rs 15 crore. \"It was a big risk but a place where I could make a difference. It was like an entrepreneurial assignment, where I had to look at every single issue including HR, tax and legal,\" he says.
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\nACT invested heavily in infrastructure and technology. It offered lower prices for the same speeds and data use compared to some of the other leading players. And its upload and download speeds were the same.
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\nBut Malladi says its success has been to a great extent because of customer service. It conducts a diligent customer satisfaction survey every time a new customer comes on board and also when there is an issue that needs to be resolved. The business heads prepare a daily customer satisfaction report that is sent to Malladi.
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\nThe company has grown on an average by 35% in each of the past 5 years. It is looking to grow pan-India in the next few years. It started making profits only in late 2013. Malladi admits the first five years were tough. \"But not once did we pay our employees their salary even a day late,\" says Malladi.
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\n\n<\/body>","next_sibling":[{"msid":59269973,"title":"BSNL plans to rent out telephone exchanges, vacant staff quarters across Kerala","entity_type":"ARTICLE","link":"\/news\/bsnl-plans-to-rent-out-telephone-exchanges-vacant-staff-quarters-across-kerala\/59269973","category_name":null,"category_name_seo":"telecomnews"}],"related_content":[],"msid":59270024,"entity_type":"ARTICLE","title":"ACT Fibernet braved local cable operators\u2019 resistance, offered great prices","synopsis":"Broadband provider ACT has 1.2 million customers, over Rs 1,000 crore in revenue, is profitable, and some say it might even be a unicorn","titleseo":"telecomnews\/act-fibernet-braved-local-cable-operators-resistance-offered-great-prices","status":"ACTIVE","authors":[{"author_name":"Anand J","author_link":"\/author\/479240271\/anand-j","author_image":"https:\/\/etimg.etb2bimg.com\/authorthumb\/479240271.cms?width=100&height=100","author_additional":{"thumbsize":false,"msid":479240271,"author_name":"Anand J","author_seo_name":"Anand-J","designation":"Senior Correspondent","agency":false}},{"author_name":"Avik Das","author_link":"\/author\/479222446\/avik-das","author_image":"https:\/\/etimg.etb2bimg.com\/authorthumb\/479222446.cms?width=100&height=100","author_additional":{"thumbsize":false,"msid":479222446,"author_name":"Avik Das","author_seo_name":"Avik-Das","designation":"Staff Reporter","agency":false}}],"Alttitle":{"minfo":""},"artag":"TNN","artdate":"2017-06-22 16:39:08","lastupd":"2017-06-22 16:41:22","breadcrumbTags":["act","Sunder Raju","Broadband","Hindustan UniLever","Telecom equipment","IVFA","true north","Sunray Computers","ACT Corp"],"secinfo":{"seolocation":"telecomnews\/act-fibernet-braved-local-cable-operators-resistance-offered-great-prices"}}" data-authors="[" anand j","avik das"]" data-category-name="" data-category_id="" data-date="2017-06-22" data-index="article_1">
新德里:它拥有120万的客户。它的收入在过去的财政年度1000卢比。它是有利可图的。根据一些,这可能是一个独角兽,一家私人公司价值十亿美元或更多。
公司行为早在2000年就开始在班加罗尔的有线电视服务提供商。今天,它是中国最大的有线之一宽带服务的球员。行为后,说这是第三大BSNL和旅馆。
有线电视和宽带是一个艰难的业务,即使在印度的地铁。在班加罗尔,在其他城市,它主要由本地运行的球员,通常与当地政客的祝福。所以企业球员进入业务经常被迫支付高达10%的佣金在每个连接。甚至之后,这不是不寻常的电线被削减了当地的球员,和警察经常表演无助。
行为是不能幸免。问,该公司表示,不希望讨论此事。但它承认这是为什么它仍然没有出现在城市的许多地方。
“这是其中一个原因我们没有进入高铁布局到一年前。我们的想法是保持干净和透明,”首席执行官说,巴拉Malladi行动。尽管这样的挑战,公司现在有一个在11个城市在南方,在德里。从2008年的100名员工和45000个客户,今年进入互联网宽带空间,现在有6500名员工和120万个客户。
法》(简称心房融合技术)成立破拉技术专业硕士的学位incomputer科学从加州大学圣芭芭拉分校。他是一个设置的关键球员紫外线的电脑1981年,后来帮助发现心房组织在班加罗尔。
当行动决定进入宽带和IPTV在2008年,私人股本公司真北(当时称为印度价值基金顾问IVFA)是投资者。300卢比的资金被用来创建数字电视和宽带业务和收购几个当地有线电视和宽带球员在南印度。IVFA,在2015年,私人股本公司助教一起Associates投资了5亿美元。“破想让这个现代的专业公司。没有许多组织球员为投资者在这个部门,“Malladi说,他于2008年加入后的资金。
Malladi曾共事过印度斯坦联合利华(户)15年,这是一个巨大的转变。他是管理物流和后端业务户的食品行业,价值5亿美元。当他搬到行动,仅仅15卢比的收入。“这是一个很大的风险,但是我可以创造一个不一样的地方。就像一个创业的任务,我必须看每一个问题包括人力资源、税收和法律,”他说。
行动大举投资基础设施和技术。它提供更低的价格相比,相同的速度和数据使用的一些其他主要球员。和它的上传和下载的速度是相同的。
但Malladi说它的成功在很大程度上,因为客户服务。每次都进行一个勤奋的客户满意度调查船上一个新客户时,也有一个需要解决的问题。业务负责人准备送往Malladi每日客户满意度报告。
公司平均增长35%,在过去的5年。它正在寻求成长pan-India在未来几年。它在2013年底才开始盈利。Malladi承认第一个五年是艰难的。“但我们支付员工薪水甚至一次也没晚一天,“Malladi说。
公司行为早在2000年就开始在班加罗尔的有线电视服务提供商。今天,它是中国最大的有线之一宽带服务的球员。行为后,说这是第三大BSNL和旅馆。
有线电视和宽带是一个艰难的业务,即使在印度的地铁。在班加罗尔,在其他城市,它主要由本地运行的球员,通常与当地政客的祝福。所以企业球员进入业务经常被迫支付高达10%的佣金在每个连接。甚至之后,这不是不寻常的电线被削减了当地的球员,和警察经常表演无助。
行为是不能幸免。问,该公司表示,不希望讨论此事。但它承认这是为什么它仍然没有出现在城市的许多地方。
“这是其中一个原因我们没有进入高铁布局到一年前。我们的想法是保持干净和透明,”首席执行官说,巴拉Malladi行动。尽管这样的挑战,公司现在有一个在11个城市在南方,在德里。从2008年的100名员工和45000个客户,今年进入互联网宽带空间,现在有6500名员工和120万个客户。
法》(简称心房融合技术)成立破拉技术专业硕士的学位incomputer科学从加州大学圣芭芭拉分校。他是一个设置的关键球员紫外线的电脑1981年,后来帮助发现心房组织在班加罗尔。
当行动决定进入宽带和IPTV在2008年,私人股本公司真北(当时称为印度价值基金顾问IVFA)是投资者。300卢比的资金被用来创建数字电视和宽带业务和收购几个当地有线电视和宽带球员在南印度。IVFA,在2015年,私人股本公司助教一起Associates投资了5亿美元。“破想让这个现代的专业公司。没有许多组织球员为投资者在这个部门,“Malladi说,他于2008年加入后的资金。
Malladi曾共事过印度斯坦联合利华(户)15年,这是一个巨大的转变。他是管理物流和后端业务户的食品行业,价值5亿美元。当他搬到行动,仅仅15卢比的收入。“这是一个很大的风险,但是我可以创造一个不一样的地方。就像一个创业的任务,我必须看每一个问题包括人力资源、税收和法律,”他说。
行动大举投资基础设施和技术。它提供更低的价格相比,相同的速度和数据使用的一些其他主要球员。和它的上传和下载的速度是相同的。
但Malladi说它的成功在很大程度上,因为客户服务。每次都进行一个勤奋的客户满意度调查船上一个新客户时,也有一个需要解决的问题。业务负责人准备送往Malladi每日客户满意度报告。
公司平均增长35%,在过去的5年。它正在寻求成长pan-India在未来几年。它在2013年底才开始盈利。Malladi承认第一个五年是艰难的。“但我们支付员工薪水甚至一次也没晚一天,“Malladi说。
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