Tata Indicom has joined hands with Handygo.com to provide new value added services targeted specially at its rural customers. With the use of these services, Tata Indicom mobile phone users in rural areas can get specialised information on topics like health, education, finance, weather information, mandi rates, livestock, agriculture and fisheries over the IVR (Interactive Voice Response).
Users can get expert answers to specific queries and if the response is not readily available they can also get their query recorded on the IVR to which they will be provided an answer later.
To access this service Tata Indicom customers need to dial the toll free number 556780 and they will be automatically guided through the whole process.
Subscribers can avail this service in the form of subscription pack for which they will be charged Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20 per month which will get them 50, 100, 200 minutes worth of talktime for 7, 15, 30 days respectively.
“We envisage great potential in the untapped rural market and are encouraged about the positive feedback from the end consumers. We have partnered with various large associations for ensuring the latest and authentic information for our CSPs subscribers. Our IVR based rural product is available in all regional languages along with Hindi and English,” said Praveen Rajpal, chief executive officer of Handygo Technologies.
Handygo.com, the content provider for this VAS service, has tie ups with various government and non government organisations such as Care India, Aviva Life Insurance, Indian Metrological Department, INCOIS, Hariyali Kisan Bazaar, Network for Fish Quality Management and Sustainable Fishing, Transparency International India, Sonalika and EKO India Financial Services for getting specialised and reliable information in the various verticals for which this service is available.
Alongside the launch of this new VAS service, Tata Indicom as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiative has also employed 50 blind people in association with the National Association of the Blind, Mumbai and the Blind Relief Association in Delhi who have specifically been chosen to make calls for the product Behtar Zindagi VAS services.
This is not the first time such a service has been launched by any Indian telecom service provider. In the past, Idea Cellular, Reliance telecom and Uninor (Unitech Wireless) have also launched similar services for their rural customers.