Four Tata group telecom companies, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Tata Teleservices Ltd, Tata Internet Services Ltd and Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Ltd (formerly known as Hughes Teleservices) have come together to form a 'Telecom Enterprise Business Unit', a specialised sales and marketing team that will be the single point interface for customers of the four companies.

The unit will help provide integrated services to corporate customers and minimise cost of offerings for the group's companies. It will offer integrated voice and data solutions under the group's telecom brand, Tata Indicom.

"TEBU will offer services including international leaseline circuits, Internet and data and voice services initially to over 400 corporate customers in India," TTSL managing director, S Ramakrishnan said.

The role of the Telecom Enterprise Business Unit would be in the area of business development, wherein the unit on behalf of the four companies, will target enterprises with sizable telecom spends and offer them customised voice and data solutions.

The total telecom sector in India is estimated at Rs 34,250 crore (Rs 342.5 billion) and enterprise customers form nearly 60 per cent of this market.

"The enterprise segment in India is currently underserved and is becoming more competitive and discerning. The group understands that the current sales process must extend beyond just sales to encompass solution design, turn key solution implantations and customised customer care," explains Ajay Pandey, CEO, Tata Internet Services and the president-elect of the new unit.

The unit's team would initially consist of about 100 professionals drawn from the group's telecom companies and would operate out of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, which would be later extended to Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai.

The management council for the unit would consist of Firdose A Vandrevala, managing director, Tata Power Ltd; S Ramakrishnan, managing director, Tata Teleservices Ltd; S K Gupta, managing director, VSNL; N Srinath, director (operations), VSNL; Kevin Caruso, telecom consultant, Tata Industries and Raju Bhinge, CEO, Tata Strategic Management Group.

"Customers today are increasingly looking at single point of contact to service their voice and data requirements. It is this ability to service this need, which will decide the success of any telecom venture in future," said Pandey.

Officials from the telecom unit clarified that the unit is a sales and marketing initiative and is aimed only at integrating the different services provided to provide a single point interface to the consumers and not an effort towards merging the companies.