Reliance Jio has a competitor! Datawind to offer data at just Rs 20 per month

Datawind has plans to offer data services at Rs 200 per year.

New Delhi: Reliance Jio's powerful entry into the telecom market has entirely changed the game for data-hungry Indians.

Following the bandwagon, many telecom operators have either slashed their prices or come up with lucrative offer for their customers.

Now, Canadian mobile device maker Datawind seems to be another player in the telecom space.

Datawind has plans to invest Rs 100 crore in telecom services business in the first six months of getting a licence and offer data services at Rs 200 per year.

The company, known for making low-cost tablets and smartphones, has applied for a pan-India virtual network operator (VNO) licence in the country.

The licence will enable it to offer mobile telephony and data services but only in partnership with existing telecom operators.

"We are hoping that we should get licence in a month or so. Datawind will invest Rs 100 in the first six month to launch the business with focus on data services," Datawind President and CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said on the sidelines of launch of first Punjabi education tablet.

Tuli said the company plans to offer data plans that will not cost Rs 20 per month or lesser.

"Jio's Rs 300 plan is affordable for those who have been spending Rs 1,000-1,500 per month. This would be only top 300 million people. Rest of the people spend around Rs 90 a month and for them its not that cheap.

"We will look at data plans around Rs 20 per month or lesser. One year of data service should not be more than Rs 200," Tuli said.

Reliance Jio has announced to provide unlimited calls and SMS for Rs 303 a month starting April 1 which includes 1GB of data with 4G speed per day to those who register for its prime service offer before March 31. There are other plans too from Jio.

Tuli said that Datawind will look at providing 3G or 4G speed for which details are being worked out.

With PTI Inputs