British telecom giant Vodafone today said it is witnessing up to 180 percent growth in SIM cards used for the internet of things (IoT) devices in the country on a smaller base. Its solutions are being used to serve diverse segments like smart tractors and earthmovers, its country head Sunil Sood told reporters here. "Even in India, these numbers are zooming up. We are growing at about 150-180 percent a year. Yes, the numbers are small and the market is emerging," Sood, the managing director and chief executive for the second largest telco, which is set to merge with smaller rival Idea Cellular, said. The company is also working on the smart cars segment, he said, without divulging the client names. Globally, it has 60 million SIM cards, which have been sold to be used for IoT solutions.
IoT is an emerging technology wherein devices are connected and capable of 'speaking' to each other. It can be noted that the smart cities initiative of the government will use a lot of IoT solutions, which global vendors are keenly eyeing. Sood was speaking on the sidelines of a company event, where it launched a new brand positioning in India, after the similar launch at the global level earlier this month. The company refused to quantify the spends on the campaign in the country but hinted that a lot of focus will be on the digital media. When asked if the impending merger will have any bearing on the new identity campaign, its India chief operating officer Balesh Sharma hinted that both the brands will continue to operate even after the merger for the near future. He, however, added that the merger is not yet through. Sood later told reporters that the merger is on track and the process of approvals is moving as per expectations.
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