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Batelco funded S Tel, which joined the queue of mobile operators in India by launching its operations at Shimla in Himachal Pradesh

last week, entered into Orissa market on Monday.

In the next few months the company plans to expand its operations in half a dozen category C circles of the country. The company has ISP license for many states including Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, North East, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

S Tel is joint venture of Siva Group (formerly Sterling Infotech Group) and BMIC Limited, a subsidiary of Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco).

Speaking on the occasion, S Tel and Siva Group director Mr P. Swaminathan said S Tel’s mobile services would be available in Bihar and Jharkhand by the year end.

Besides, its services will be accessible to the customers in Assam and North East by first quarter of 2010, Mr Swaminathan added. “Siva Group aims to deliver an efficient business model with community welfare at the helm of it. We are happy to partner with Batelco and strongly believe that our association will be instrumental in extending a global telecom experience to the S Tel consumers in the country,” the director said.

Stating that the number of mobile users was expected to double by 2015, Mr Swaminathan said the company was witnessing an exciting phase in telecom growth.

“We are excited to be playing our part in the growth of the telecom sector which will contribute to India’s economic growth and competitiveness,” he informed.

Mr. Shamik Das, chief executive officer, S Tel, said, “With a mobile tele-density of just 26%, Orissa provides an opportunity to enhance mobile penetration and rapidly bring benefits of communication networks to people here. By 2010 year end we will cover 90% of towns in the state.”

Mr Sanjib Swain, chief operating officer, Orissa, S Tel said Orissa has a high potential market for the company because of its ongoing rapid industrialization activity and sizeable base of young IT professionals.

Consumers will be benefited by the company's two most-preferred tariff plans which charge one paisa per second and 50 paisa per minute respectively for STD and local outgoing calls.