From its inception till 2015, Axiata Group
has contributed equity investments of
BDT3,238.30 crore. During the same
period, Robi contributed BDT15,771.83
crore to the Government exchequer.
In the evolving digital landscape of
Bangladesh, Robi has established itself as
the leading provider of customer-centric
data and digital services. Robi’s 2G and
3.5G network nationwide allows it to serve
subscribers with high quality Internet and
voice services. The company serves the
local business community with innovative
corporate solutions and wide International
Roaming coverage connecting 385
operators across more than 140 countries.
Robi is committed to Corporate
Responsibility (CR) initiatives in the areas
of ICT-Education, Health and Environment.
As part of its commitment to build digital
bridges, Robi introduced Facebook’s
basic Internet platform Free Basics in
Bangladesh. It promotes responsible use
of Internet among youth through the
‘Internet4Youth’ initiative. Through its CR
initiative “Gori Nijer Bhobishshot”, Robi
is empowering underprivileged young
men and women build their futures
through technical training on Ready-
Made Garment, Electronics and Mobile
Servicing. Robi is also the official sponsor
of the Bangladesh National Cricket team,
expanding its brand appeal to millions of
cricket fans across the country.
Business Review 2015
In 2015, Robi recorded strong business
performance, continuing to deliver
innovative product offerings and a
superior data network experience
to its customers despite geopolitical
uncertainties and tightening of regulatory
controls. Its subscriber base grew by 12%,
adding 3 million new subscribers to reach
28.3 million subscribers, representing a
market share of 21.2%. It posted revenue
growth of 6.0% Year on Year (YoY) of
BDT52.4 billion.
Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation
and Amortisation (EBITDA) margin for the
year 2015 was 36.5%, impacted by higher
network operating costs and intense price
competition. Profit After Tax (PAT) margin
was 7.6%, due to higher depreciation
from investments in 2.5G/3.5G network
expansion.
In 2015, Robi saw stellar data revenue
growth of 78.9%, driven by data usage
growth of over 200%. The exponential
growth is attributed to sustained
investment in 3.5G network expansion and
new product offerings such as innovative
smartphone bundle offers.
2015 was a landmark year for Robi’s
digitilisation drive, with the Company
identified as the #1 ‘Most Socially Devoted
Brand’ in the world by ‘Socialbakers’,
a globally recognized online analytics
publishing company. Additionally, its
Facebook fanpage RobiFanz crossed 5
million active fans this year, strengthening
its brand appeal amongst an increasingly
tech-savvy
youth
population
in
Bangladesh.
The Company also launched its online
ticketing platform, bdtickets.com, which
started off with tickets for more than 600
routes for 20 bus companies, and added
passenger ferries and movie tickets to
its portfolio. The company also secured
the rights to collect bills on behalf of
Bangladesh Power Development Board
(BPDB) in all six of its billing zones, as
well as the Chittagong Water Supply and
Sewerage Authority.
Within one and a half years of the launch
of Robi’s appstore, bdapps.com, there
has been a surge of interest from mobile
app developers and potential customers,
with the platform now hosting more than
a thousand mobile apps covering diverse
areas such as sports, food, jobs and news.
Robi’s data-driven strategies were
complemented by the digitalisation of
processes which has transformed the
Company into a truly digital company.
These include mobile applications based
HR and Office Management platforms that
helped raising the overall efficiency levels
of the Company.
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
2015
49,423
4,396
199
18,912
38.3%
25.3
202
52,395
4,004
184
19,113
36.5%
28.3
190
REVENUE
PAT
BLENDED ARPU
EBITDA & EBIDTA
MARGIN (%)
SUBSCRIBERS
BLENDED MoU
6%
-8.9%
(-8.6% normalised)
1.1%
(+4.4% normalised)
12.0%
BDT Million
BDT Million
Blended ARPU/RGB/month
BDT Million
Million
Minutes of use/RGB/month
BUSINESS
REVIEW
axiata group berhad | annual report 2015
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