Tata Indicom, Yahoo! India announce net partnership

Tata Teleservices has entered into an exclusive partnership with internet major Yahoo! India, to launch a co-branded internet homepage in India.

The strategic partnership will provide a compelling web experience and a unique user interface to all Tata Indicom customers. The co-branded Yahoo! India homepage will serve as the default across all Tata Indicom internet access devices, Tata Teleservices said in a release.
 
The partnership will enable Yahoo! India to reach out directly to millions of users subscribing to Tata Indicom internet services, such as Photon Plug2Surf, Photon Plus and Photon Pro wireline broadband.

Tata Indicom subscribers will also be able to find relevant information on services like bill payment, tariff plans, promotions, etc on the portal. They will also have access to online content and communication services through Yahoo!'s flagship properties like Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Cricket, Yahoo! Mobile, etc, the release said.

''Tata Teleservices' fast-paced growth makes this partnership strategic and special for Yahoo! India. Providing world-class online content and services to a consumer on the go is integral to our growth. This partnership opens a brand new opportunity to deliver the best of web content and services, anywhere and everywhere,'' Gopal Krishna, vice president and head of audience (emerging markets), Yahoo!, said.
 
Under this partnership, when a new Tata Teleservices customer logs in to the internet using any Tata Indicom internet access device or service, he/she will see a co-branded Yahoo! India homepage with ready access to all Yahoo! Services.

The portal will be monetised through advertisements.

''Tata Indicom is leading the way in delivering next-gen services and creating a new benchmark for convergence and data services. Our continued customer focus and emphasis on delivering the best experience and value to users is driving a new era of true convergence with the help of internet partner like Yahoo!,'' Zubin Jimmy Dubash, assistant vice president (value-added services), Tata Teleservices, said.
 
''Our partnership with Yahoo! India is first of its kind in the telecom space in India. This alliance will allow Yahoo! to reach a wider audience in the internet and digital spaces, and gain access to a captive user base to create not only a deeper connection with users, but also deliver a seamless user experience across platforms,'' Lloyd Mathias, chief marketing officer of Tata Teleservices, said. ''Tata Indicom's internet and data services product lines are the best in the industry and this joint initiative will open up potential avenues to extend the popularity of co-branded portals to audiences globally,'' he added.