Cellular operators in Gujarat have geared up to lure customers through various offers ahead of the Diwali festival.
The offers include more talk time at lesser charges and gifts through short messaging services-based contests.
An official at a cellular company said: "During Diwali more people go for a cellular connection. We are making the most of the opportunity."
Hutch, the leading cellular service provider in the state with a subscriber base of more than 730,000 customers, has reduced the entry fee to Rs 199 from Rs 250 in the pre-paid segment.
The scheme also offers a free air time of Rs 75. In the post-paid segment, new customers will get a money-back offer for nine months at Rs 120 per month, said an official spokesperson of Hutch Cellular.
Airtel, which has a customer base of more than 150,000, is offering various plans in both the pre-paid and post-paid segments.
Under its `Festival for freedom offer', Airtel is offering a Motorolla C-200 cell phone at an initial payment of Rs 500. The balance is to be paid in 18 equal installments of Rs 278, along with a post-paid connection called the `Total freedom 249 plan'.
Under the new Airtel post-paid plan, which comes with a handset, the customer's monthly bill will be at Rs 150, while rent stands at Rs 99.
The plan allows a customer to make a call to any global system for mobile communication cell phone at Rs 1.49 per minute in Gujarat, while a call to a wireless in local loop or a land line phone will cost Rs 1.99 per minute.
The customer can also avail of an optional package, which includes night speak, friends-and-family package and international calls at Rs 15.99 per minute, any time across the globe.
Under the `SMS Contest' of Airtel, launched on Wednesday, customers can win prizes by answering questions through SMS.
Idea Cellular, which has a customer base of more than 300,000, is also offering various schemes. In the post-paid segment, Idea is offering the lowest monthly rental of Rs 169.
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