Competitor Insight #35.2006: Wireless Operator Competitor Analysis-- Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.

Relative to the leading private operators, BSNL's brand strength is weak, and is most associated with the words "cheap" and "good value". Of mobile users surveyed, 31.6% identified BSNL with the word "cheap" and 27% with "good value". On all the other brand strength indicators, BSNL came out significantly below its market share. Only 7 - 11% of mobile users identified BSNL with words such as "cool", "creative", "reliable", "good service", or "technically advanced".
While 27% of respondents did associate BSNL with "good value" (above its market share), it should be noted most customers we interviewed may have experiences with BSNL's fixed line division, which is notorious for its bureaucracy and which has 79% of the fixed-line market. Thus, a 27% rating on "good value" does not seem that high for such a ubiquitous brand across India.