Tel
Reliance Jio
Update| 9 September 2016
Sector: Telecom
Sector Update | Telecom
Subs addition run-rate of 1lac/day – 100m target for Dec-16
Please refer our recent report
dated 1 September 2016
We conducted sales and distribution channel check to understand consumers’
response to RJio’s recently launched ‘Welcome Offer’, wherein users can access
free pan-India voice and data services. We also discuss the company’ sales target
and possibility of achieving that.
SIM card distribution channels:
SIM cards are currently distributed only via the
Reliance Retail channel. Distribution in mom-and-pop and modern stores will be
started in 15-20 days. RJio has mapped 2.5lac SIM distributors, and over the
coming quarters, we expect it to reach closer to the current number of SIM
distributors (4.5lac) and sellers of recharge vouchers (8lac) in the market.
1lac SIM sales/day:
The run-rate of SIM card sales since the launch of the
welcome offer is 1lac/day. With addition of more distribution channels (e.g.,
modern and mom-and-pop stores), our channel check indicates the run-rate to
go up 3-4x. Total current subscriber base is 5m.
100m target by Dec-16:
The internal target to reach 100m subscriber base is
about 3-4 months (i.e. Dec-16). Considering 3-4x growth in daily subscriber
addition from the current level of 1lac, monthly addition works out to be 9m,
leading to about 36m subscribers by Dec-16. Although this is far behind the
100m target, we believe it is still a big feat, and the current run-rate should
allow the company to reach the 100m mark by June-16. From overall industry
perspective, with 36m subscribers, RJio could reach about 30-50% of
RCOM/Tata Tele/BSNL’s subscriber base of about 60/86/100m.
Retention post welcome offer could be a challenge:
It will be interesting to see
if RJio is able to retain its subscribers after the end of the welcome offer. Based
on our channel check, there could be about 30-40% retention, which implies
about 10-15m subscribers.
The handset ecosystem maze:
a) LTE-led growth potential:
The number of LTE handset users could reach 100m
by Dec-16, from the current level of about 60-70m. These are largely premium
subscribers who may be averse to quick churn, albeit use second SIM option.
The industry’s monthly LTE smartphone shipment was 5-6m until last quarter,
which we expect to accelerate further. With this, total LTE handset user base is
expected to touch ~100-120m, accommodating RJio’s 30-40m subscribers (30%
market share).
b) JioFi contribution could become imperative for high growth:
For RJio to meet
its target of 100m subscribers in 3-6 months, a large portion of the uptick need
to come through JioFi, as the LTE handset base may not be able to fully
accommodate subscriber growth.
Aliasgar Shakir
(Aliasgar.shakir@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 3010 2415
Jay Gandhi
(Jay.Gandhi@MotilalOswal.com); +91 22 6129 1546
Investors are advised to refer through important disclosures made at the last page of the Research Report.
9 September 2016
1
Motilal Oswal research is available on
www.motilaloswal.com/Institutional-Equities,
Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Factset and S&P Capital.