Diversified Videocon Group on Monday announced to invest Rs 800—1,000 crore in telecom business in Punjab.
The company may also consider investment in setting up an assembly unit for LCD and washing machines in the state.
“Our investment will be Rs 800—1000 crore in our telecom business in Punjab,” company’s Managing Director R N Dhoot told reporters here today.
Under the proposed investment, the company has plans to set up an IT hub for its entire telecom business at Mohali, a call centre with 500 seats initially at Jalandhar and additional 1,200—1,500 towers especially in rural areas to expand coverage, he added.
The proposed IT hub in Mohali, which will have telecom business related infrastructure, including service delivery platform and MNP network, will cater to company’s entire telecom requirements, said company’s Director and CEO Arvind Bali.
The integrated call centre at Jalandhar will initially have 300 seats, having Tamil, Punjabi, Hindi, English speaking people to support its 2 million telecom customers in Punjab.
When asked about making investment in TVs and washing machines in Punjab, Dhoot said the company would consider investing in setting up a plant for LCD and washing machines.
“We will think about (setting up a plant for) LCD and washing machines (in Punjab) and it will be an assembly plant initially,” he said.
Asked about company’s previous announcements of setting up a 1000 MW thermal power project in Punjab, Dhoot said the power plant project could not take off because of non—availability of land and coal.
Asserting that the company was committed to make investment, Dhoot added that he discussed this matter with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to resolve the issue.