All the private telecom operators in India are trying to do one thing very desperately – create a super mobile app. Be it Jio or Airtel, or Vi; all are in the race to make their mobile app a super app that contains not only facilities to recharge or check data balance but do much more. Case in point, Vodafone Idea now allows users to stream music, play games, and even find jobs through its mobile app. The telcos are trying to create a whole marketplace or an ecosystem inside their app, and Vodafone Idea seems to be doing a lot of unique things. But Bharti Airtel isn’t behind either. Airtel has a whole online payments bank inside its mobile app. Now that counts for something. Bharti Airtel is the only telco which is offering online banking services inside the application. Further, there is Airtel Thanks and more which allows the telco to monetise its mobile platform by partnering up with multiple brands. When it comes to Reliance Jio, the telco offers a wide range of mini-apps which can be downloaded from within the application. There’s JioSaavn, a music streaming service, JioHealthHub, and so much more.
Making Super Mobile Apps Will Allow the Telcos to Monetise the Platform Better
The more customers these telcos acquire, the more customers can be signed-up and onboarded for their apps. These mobile apps offer the telcos an opportunity to partner with multiple other platforms to offer services and make extra money. The Indian telcos can’t just rely on their mobile revenues, which no doubt are going up. But to build a robust revenue model, these telcos also need to make money through other means. This is where these mobile platforms come into the scene. It is a simple business model and one that works only with scale. The more customers these telcos have on their apps, the more third-party platforms would want to be a part of it. This also opens up an opportunity for the telcos to see the behavioural pattern of their users. What kind of music do they listen to, what kind of entertainment they are searching for, and more. This data is very crucial as the advertisers can pay top bucks for it. So, the next time you see the telcos offering you a better deal inside their mobile application or luring you to sign-up for it, then know that in the long run, they are looking to make money off your data or your presence. Note that neither of these “business plans I have mentioned” above is confirmed by the telcos themselves.
