Exotel Secures Unified License for Virtual Network Operator in India

Many  customer communication solutions are not built to handle remote operations and hybrid workforces. At the same time, the need for call centers and other businesses to operate in hybrid mode (in-office and remote) is now a necessity as a result of the pandemic. In India, these solutions can be time/cost-intensive, and lack the regulatory compliance and flexibility to work from anywhere.

To address regulatory concerns, India’s Modi-led government allowed VNOs (virtual network operators) to ease several OSP (outside plant) guidelines in the last couple of years. This allowed a win-win partnership between VNOs and telcos, offering increased ease of doing business. These events made India a key player in the global IT and BPO industry, creating hundreds of thousands of job opportunities.

Bengaluru, India-based full stack customer engagement platform Exotel recently announced it has secured a Unified License for Virtual Network Operator (UL VNO Access Service) from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). With the license, Exotel, in partnership with telecom operators, offers flexible, affordable, and fully compliant internet calling solution for Indian businesses. This achievement is an industry-first in India, said the company.

"We are India's only API-first virtual telecom operator that's business-focused," said Ishwar Sridharan, Co-founder and COO of Exotel, in a statement. "We now offer software, infrastructure, bots, and telco lines over the cloud, making Exotel a one-stop-shop for all customer engagement solutions. We enable the workforce to work from anywhere and call customers over the internet with the new license. This strengthens our relationship with telecom operators to make the cloud more accessible and flexible."

The calling solutions offering is available in the Karnataka telecom circle and will soon be rolled out across India.