Essar Telecom Retail, an Essar Group company that operates The MobileStore, intends to open 2,500 outlets in 600 cities across the country.
Launching the company’s 21st store in Hyderabad on February 21, Rajiv Agarwal, chief executive officer and director, The MobileStore, said, “At present, we have 450 stores in 70 cities. We intend to open 1,700 outlets by this year-end and touch the 2,500 mark by 2010, covering 600 cities. We also plan to hike the employee headcount to 10,000 people from the current 2,500.”
Besides, the company is also planning to launch its own brand of handsets and accessories. “We are seriously looking at launching our own mobile-phone brand, offering a complete range of handsets to bring better value to our customers. We are currently negotiating with a couple of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),” said Agarwal.
The company also plans to tap emerging markets including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, by rolling out its multi-brand mobile outlets in the next six months.
According to Agarwal, The MobileStore currently generates revenues of Rs 1,200 crore annually.
