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Introduction
NATIONAL
CONTRIBUTION REPORT
Beyond Short-
Term Profits
Nurturing People
Process Excellence
& Governance
Planet & Society
Our Associates
NATIONAL CONTRIBUTION REPORT 63
Axiata Group Berhad | Sustainability & National Contribution Report 2016
Idea Cellular is a pan-India integrated GSM operator offering 2G, 3G and 4G services with its own
National Long Distance (NLD) and International Long Distance (ILD) operations, and ISP licence. Idea
is among the top three mobile operators in India, with annual revenue in excess of USD5 billion and
a revenue market share of 19%. With nearly 200 million subscribers, Idea ranks sixth in the global
rankings of operators in terms of subscribers for single country operations.
Idea is listed on the National Stock
Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock
Exchange (BSE) in India. Idea’s pan-India
network covers over 400,000 towns
and villages across the country and is
further expanding network infrastructure
to make high-speed mobile broadband
services available to over a billion people.
Idea executed the fastest 4G roll-out in
the country in 2016 - with one broadband
site being installed every ten minutes -
taking the overall tally of Idea sites to
nearly 230,000 and connected by a
fibre network of over 128,000km. By
March 2017, Idea’s 4G services will have
expanded to 20 circles covering 94% of
its revenue market.
Idea Cellular has played a key role in
the development of mobile telephony,
particularly in rural India. As a socially
responsible corporate group, Idea
adopts policies and business strategies
to effectively integrate emerging
environmental, social and economic
considerations
with
its
business
activities. Efficient power management,
infrastructure sharing, use of eco-friendly
renewable energy sources, leveraging
on the latest technology and smart
logistics are some of the best practices
implemented in our network infrastructure
and day-to-day business operations to
ensure sustainable operations.
Idea endeavours to become the leading
Indian conglomerate for sustainable business
practices across all its operations by 2017. It
aims to establish a sustainability programme
in Idea’s current operations, under the heading
‘Responsible Stewardship’, which will see
the company voluntarily aligning itself with
international standards set by the global bodies.
Network Access and Coverage
To reduce the collective carbon footprint of
the telecom sector in India, Idea pioneered
the concept of ‘Shared Telecom Infrastructure’
services along with other industry leaders. This
initiative is committed towards continuous
innovation; the optimisation of tower rollouts;
and enhanced operational efficiencies leading to
a substantial reduction of the carbon footprint.
Idea is also part of the Fuel Cell project aimed
at exploring the usage of hydrogen as an
alternate energy source to power mobile
base stations. Currently being trialled, this
programme has the potential of reducing the
usage of a regular power generator to zero.
Idea’s Employees: Flag Bearers of
Sustainability
Idea is committed to attracting and retaining
the best talent, encouraging innovation,
and creating an engaging and motivating
workplace environment. Idea’s Human
Resources operations and communications to
its employee base of over 13,000 are done
mainly through smart ICT solutions such as
teleconferencing, video conferencing, web
chats, and internal social networking
platforms to minimise commute time and
increase productivity.
The company through an Aditya Birla
Group initiative has engaged the
services of an international agency for
implementation of an IT system capable
of providing management with all data
required to be managed and published in
a Sustainable Development Report. Idea
is all set to develop its first dedicated
Sustainability Report as per GRI Guidelines
in FY2017.
Going forward the company is working
hard to further improve/strengthen its
systems and processes especially those
linked to (a) supply chain and contractor
management practices, (b) waste handling
and disposal practices, (c) external
stakeholder engagement practices, and
(d) occupational health and safety.
Ethics and Integrity
Idea’s governance philosophy rests on
five basic tenets:
• Board accountability to the company
and shareholders
• Strategic guidance and effective
monitoring by the Board
• Protection of minority interests and
rights
• Equitable treatment of all shareholders
• Superior transparency and timely
disclosure
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SUSTAINABILITY AT OUR ASSOCIATES