Videsh Sanchar Nigam, India’s premier telecom and Internet service provider, today announced the launch of Tata Indicom 'Global Calling Card' — a voice product catering to the communication requirements of Indian overseas travellers. This innovative product will allow Indians travelling abroad to make calls to India (or any other international destination) from any mobile, landline or pay phone at highly attractive rates.

The launch of Tata Indicom Global Calling Card closely follows the launch of Tata Indicom’s 'Hello Duniya' and 'India-on-Call' calling cards. While the Hello Duniya card caters to the national and international long distance call requirements of Tata Indicom phone subscribers, the latter addresses the communication needs of Indian travellers specifically visiting USA, UK and the Gulf. The Global Calling Card is thus a considerably enhanced version of India-on-Call series of cards.

Tata Indicom Global Calling Card offers a number of exclusive never-before features for customers. Apart from its footprint in over 25 major destinations of Indian travellers, it offers benefits such as online access to call records, flexibility to use residual balance on the card (on return from abroad) to make STD / ISD calls from India and online facility to top up the card with convenient denominations. This card can also be used to send fax messages or connect to the Internet from abroad. The company announced that several such innovative features will be added to enhance the overall value proposition to customers in future.

Speaking on the occasion Mr S. K. Gupta, managing director, VSNL, said, "The Tata Indicom Global Calling Card is a highly cost effective mode for staying in touch with family, friends and business associates across the world. The international travelling customers will have the benefit of making high quality voice communication from overseas to India as well as other destinations across the globe at competitive prices. Tata Indicom Global Calling Card is a product that is in line with the global focus of VSNL and is an effective way for us to tap the international retail voice market."

The Tata Indicom Global Calling Cards are available to customers in denominations of Rs 250/-, Rs 500/- and Rs 1000/-. The global calling cards are available to customers, both online as well as through select retail outlets in India. 

The global calling cards are targeted at Indians travelling abroad, including businessmen, professionals, tourists, students and pilgrims, especially those who travel to more than one country. Making a phone call through the card is simple and user-friendly and involves dialing an access number that leads the customer to an IVR which then guides the customer to make the intended call. Call charges are directly deducted from the balance available on the card.

The global calling card is truly global in terms of its reach as the card can be used to make calls from North America, Europe, Oceania, South East Asia, Asia and the Gulf at attractive tariff plans with the option of 1min / 3 min pulse rating.

Tata Indicom Global Calling Card offers customers the unmatched advantage of convenience and economy. The company believes Tata Indicom Global Calling Cards will redefine the way overseas travellers make telephone calls from abroad. 

About VSNL
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, first telecom service provider in the world to get the prestigious TL 9000 certification, is India's leading provider of international telecommunications and Internet services. As the country’s leader in international long distance services and with a strong pan-India national long distance presence, VSNL is the leader in the corporate data market in the country today with a strong service offering covering IPLCs, ILLs, Frame relay, ATM and MPLS based IP-VPN services. With established relations with over 80 carriers across the globe, VSNL today has a strong infrastructure base that covers multiple gateways, earth stations and submarine cable systems.

Tata-managed VSNL is now rapidly growing its retail and corporate presence under the Tata Indicom brand through its products like high speed broadband, dial-up Internet, net telephony and calling cards, and has an internet subscriber base of over 8,00,000 subscribers. The company also proposes to consolidate its presence in the Internet space by increasing its impetus on the retail broadband business. VSNL also offers a host of other valued added services that include television / video uplinking, program transmission services, Frame relay services and Inmarsat services.

VSNL is in the process of expanding its global presence and after having commissioned services / operations in Sri Lanka and Nepal, it is setting up operations in Singapore, Europe and the United States of America. Its international connectivity capabilities, both undersea as well as satellite, offer the greatest diversity in India, which is critical for all customer segments, encompassing wholesale, corporate and retail. The company is augmenting its international connectivity by setting up a 3175 km undersea cable between Chennai and Singapore with a designed capacity of 5.12 tera bits. VSNL is listed on the major stock exchanges in India and also has its ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange. (www.vsnl.in)

Forward-looking and cautionary statements:
Certain words and statements in this release concerning VSNL and its prospects, and other statements relating to VSNL's expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of VSNL's operations and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of VSNL, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding VSNL's present and future business strategies and the environment in which VSNL will operate in the future. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of VSNL's industry, and changes in general economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in VSNL's control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in VSNL's various filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. VSNL expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in VSNL's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.