Vodafone and Idea employees' jobs are safe post merger, assure CEOs

KOLKATA: Vodafone Group Plc Chief Executive Vittorio Colao underscored the UK-based telecom carrier’s commitment towards “creating greater professional opportunities” for its India staff following the mega merger of its India unit with Idea Cellular.

“I can assure you of the group’s (read: Vodafone Group Plc's) commitment to the success of the merger and to creating greater professional opportunities for our Indian colleagues,” Colao wrote in an email to Vodafone India employees Monday, a copy of which was seen by ET.

Colao said he was convinced that the merger provides a great opportunity for “Vodafone India teams to take part in building a truly impressive company”.

“I count on all of you to focus on strengthening Vodafone India in the coming months and in winning in the highly competitive Indian environment,” the Vodafone Group CEO wrote in his communication to India staffers.

Coloa said the new Vodafone India-Idea entity is a “merger of equals, with joint control” in the combined company.

“We will have the opportunity to create a very strong management team, thanks to the combined expertise of both companies, Colao added.

The Vodafone Plc CEO said the combined company would “benefit from the strength of both brands, based on an identity and brand strategy, which will be defined in detail in closing”.

In his letter to India employees, Colao also said the combination of Vodafone and Idea would “create a very solid and strong leader in India with a long-term, vision and commitment to bring world-class 4G networks to villages, towns and cities across India”.

Colao said the combined entity would have the scale required to “ensure consumer choice in a competitive market, a large spectrum portfolio to deliver fast mobile broadband and to expand new technologies such as mobile money services, that have the potential to transform daily life for every Indian”.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman-designate of the merged entity, said there would be no significant downsizing at Idea post the merger, meaning there are lesser chances of job cuts.


With input from agencies