The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has brought together the top management of five telecom operators, who are addressing the press right now, voicing their concerns about the TRAI's proposed auction plan. On the panel are Sanjay Kapoor, CEO (India & South Asia), Airtel; Himanshu Kampania, MD of Idea Cellular, Rajiv Bawa, Chief Representative Officer, Telenor India; Arvind Bali, CEO & Director of Videocon; Martin Pieters, CEO & MD, Vodafone. Sanjay Kapoor, CEO (India & South Asia), Airtel: The TRAI recommendations are flawed and retrograde, regressive and uncertain, which will harm consumer interest, and will ring the death knell for the Indian telecom industry. The members of COAI are heartened by the Telecom Commission asking the TRAI for an explanation. You're aware that India, today, carries 8.3 billion minutes today. With 911 million customers, we are the second largest telecom market in the world, provide employment to 10 million people, directly and indirectly. The amounts that we have contributed to the national exchequer 34000 crores, around 3% of total government revenue, excluding the amount contributed for 3G and BWA auctions, including which it would be 12% to the government in 2011. Home delivery would not exist without Telecom, we gave life to the music industry with ringtones and ringback tones, we provide timely information to farmers. It shatters the investors confidence, and now it's become a habit how much we've gone down in terms of PAT. It's not because we don't know how to run efficient businesses, but how…
