Home >> About Idea

History
The chronology of key events of the Company from incorporation is set out below:
Calendar year Events
2009
bullet Subscriber base as on December 31, 2009: 57,611,872
bullet Idea becomes a pan-India operator
bullet Emerging Company of the Year - fastest growing mobile operator in the wo
rld s fastest growing telecom market
2008
Subscriber base as on December 31, 2008: 40,016,153
bullet Idea acquired 9 licences for Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Chennai, We
st Bengal, Orissa, Kolkata, Assam, North East and Jammu & Kashmir
bullet Acquired Spice Communications with the operating circles of Punjab and K
arnataka
bullet Launched services in Mumbai metro in the largest single metro city launc
h, ever
bullet Launched services in Bihar
2007
Subscriber base as on December 31, 2007: 21,054,027
bullet Won an award for the "CARE" service in the "Best Billing or Customer Car
e Solution" at the GSM Association Awards in Barcelona, Spain
bullet Initial Public Offering aggregating to Rs. 28,187 million and Listing of
Equity Shares on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange
bullet Merger of seven subsidiaries with Idea Cellular Limited
bullet Reached the twenty million subscriber mark
2006
Subscriber base as on December 31, 2006: 12,442,450
bullet Became part of the Aditya Birla Group subsequent to the TATA Group trans
ferring its entire shareholding in the Company to the Aditya Birla Group
bullet Acquired Escorts Telecommunications Limited (subsequently renamed as Ide
a Telecommunications Limited)
bullet Restructuring of debt
bullet Launch of the New Circles
bullet Reached the 10 million subscriber mark
bullet Received Letter of Intent from the DoT for a new UAS License for the Mum
bai Circle.
bullet Received Letter of Intent from the DoT for a new UAS License for the Bih
ar Circle through Aditya Birla Telecom Limited. ABNL, the parent of Aditya Birla
Telecom Limited, pursuant to a letter dated November 22, 2006, agreed to transf
er its entire shareholding in Aditya Birla Telecom Limited to the Company for th
e consideration of Rs. 100 million.
2005
Subscriber base as on December 31, 2005: 6,473,962
bullet
Reached the five million subscriber mark
bullet
Turned Profit Positive
bullet
Won an Award for the "Bill Flash" service at GSM Association Awards in Barcelona
, Spain
bullet
Sponsored the International Indian Film Academy Awards
2004
bullet Completed debt restructuring for the then existing debt facilities and a
dditional funding for the Delhi Circle.
bullet Acquired Escotel Mobile Communications Limited (subsequently renamed as
Idea Mobile Communications Limited)
bullet Reached the four million subscriber mark
bullet First operator in India to commercially launch EDGE services 2005
2003
bullet Reached the two million subscriber mark
2002
bullet Changed name to Idea Cellular Limited and launched "Idea" brand name
bullet Commenced commercial operations in Delhi Circle
bullet Reached the one million subscriber mark
2001
bullet Acquired RPG Cellular Limited and consequently the license for the Madhy
a Pradesh (including Chattisgarh) Circle
bullet Changed name to Birla Tata AT&T Limited
bullet Obtained license for providing GSM-based services in the Delhi Circle fo
llowing the fourth operator GSM license bidding process
2000
bullet Merged with Tata Cellular Limited, thereby acquiring original license fo
r the Andhra Pradesh Circle
1999
bullet Migrated to revenues share license fee regime under New Telecommunicatio
ns Policy ("NTP")
1997
bullet Commenced operations in the Gujarat and Maharashtra Circles
1996
bullet Changed name to Birla AT&T Communications Limited following joint ventur
e between Grasim Industries and AT&T Corporation
1995
bullet Incorporated as Birla Communications Limited
bullet Obtained licenses for providing GSM-based services in the Gujarat and Ma
harashtra Circles following the original GSM license bidding process.