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New Delhi: Vodafone Idea Ltd. is expected to officially start as India’s largest mobile phone operator next week – on what is internally termed ‘Day Zero’ – with cost-cutting measures aimed at returning to profitability topping its priority list, people familiar with the matter said.
The measures include rationalisation of its distributor and tower networks, reduction in advertising and marketing spending, a hiring freeze and letting go of redundant offices across circles, the people said.
When Vodafone India and Idea Cellular announced their merger in March 2017, they had projected about Rs 8,400 crore in annual cost savings by the fourth full year of operations. The financials of both companies have weakened substantially – revenue down about 20% and revenue market share about 400 basis points lower – ...
“Areas which are cash guzzlers will be looked into. Some of the distributors will definitely drop out as the two companies start working as one,” said an executive at one of the two telcos, who did not want to be identified.
‘Day Zero’ for the merged operator, with 430 million subscribers, 37% revenue market share, over Rs 60,000 crore in revenue and some Rs 1,25,000 crore in debt, is expected next week, another person said.
Having obtained government approvals last week, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular now need clearance only from the National Company Law Tribunal to form India’s largest telco, Vodafone Idea, which will displace Bharti Airtel.
The two companies did not comment on ET’s queries.
“Hiring will only happen when it is absolutely critical,” said the second person aware of the developments. Both telcos had let go of thousands of direct employees in the run-up to the merger and currently have some 15,000 people working for them.
Sources said the “best person for the job” approach will be followed and employees will benefit from opportunities by working in a larger company.
The workforces of the operators will operate from one office space instead of separate units.
“Shifting will start immediately across circles,” said the first person.
Promotional events for the new entity have been included in the list of expenses that can be curtailed.
“Earlier, people used to travel during launches. Now that has stopped and going ahead, this will continue. Look at their advertising spends and even during popular sporting events like IPL, they were subdued despite tariff wars. These measures to plug expenses is expected to continue,” said one of the executives.
Tower rationalisation will be critical in savings, the people said. The two operators together offer services through more than 250,000 towers.
“We think one of the first steps of the synergies should be savings from 73,000 overlapping sites,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a recent report.
“On Day 1 of the merger, the 2 tenancies of each of these sites will be accounted as 1 tenancy and 1 loading, which should result in Rs 2,000 crore savings on an annualised basis, according to estimates,” it added.
The new entity will need to offer attractive price plans to ensure its brand remains attractive and regain any lost market share.
“With a highly leveraged mergedco balance sheet, we expect the new management to focus more on cost cutting than market share retention,” Credit Suisse said in a recent report.
Even after the sharp cost cuts, the brokerage does not expect annual operating profit for the new entity to exceed Rs 16,000 crore for the next three years.
New to the block: Tousle your hair and get your acid-wash jeans out of storage. Big hair and the ’80s fashion staple are encouraged at the Lazer Kat bar, now open in West Hollywood. Brought to you by the Goat Group (partners Ryan Sweeney, Alen Aivazian, Justin Klinger and John Bower), the team behind the Blind Donkey a...
#brunch: In L.A., we take brunch seriously. From the location to the company to the cocktails on the table, brunch is often thought of as the most important meal of the weekend. Lucky for us, there are a couple of new places to try this weekend. NoMad, Will Guidara and chef Daniel Humm’s new downtown L.A. hotel, will s...
UCLA adjacent: Fellow, a new restaurant from Philip Camino and Terry Tolba (both of the Hudson and the Churchill) and executive chef Michael Bryant (formerly of the Churchill and Cliff’s Edge), will soon open in Westwood Village. Fellow is located in the space formerly occupied by the Glendon Bar & Kitchen. Although th...
Crack pie: Those looking forward to the opening of Christina Tosi’s Melrose Avenue Milk Bar will be happy to learn that the pastry chef is working on a collaboration with the Reformation clothing brand. This Saturday only, you’ll be able to find Tosi’s Milk Bar cookies, truffles and a new crack pie latte at the Reforma...
This year my family has used the fireplace more than we can remember. We�ve had nights where we�ve roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. When it was really cold, we fought over who got to sit closest to the fire.
Living in Austin, Texas, where a fire in the fireplace is a novelty, we might not be fireplace-ready when the next cold snap hits or we might not feel confident around fires. The same can be true in many areas of the country, cold or not.
Today we offer this guide on lighting and maintaining a fire safely as well as the fireplace options available.
Q: What kind of fireplace do I have?
A: Some homes come with a wood-burning fireplace with a gas starter. That is not the same as a gas fireplace.
A true gas fireplace will not use any wood. It will have a gas pan on the ground of the firebox (where you traditionally build a fire). The pan is where the gas flames will flow from. Gas fireplaces come in propane or natural gas.
You also could just have a true wood-burning fireplace with no gas starter, nothing but a grate in the middle of the fireplace.
Q: I have no fireplace. What are my options?
A: You can add one, but that�s expensive. You�re basically remodeling a side of your house by adding a fireplace and chimney, which are complicated structures including the hearth, firebox, damper, flue, chimney and chimney cap.
You can add a gas fireplace and vent it out the back of the wall without needing a full chimney.
You also could add an electric fireplace. Before you turn up your nose, know that many condo owners in high rises are going to this. It gives off a little heat and can look ultra modern or more traditional. You can hang it on the wall or build it into the wall. They range in price from $250 to $800.
Q: Gas fireplaces are ugly and expensive, right?
A: Dorothy Duhon, co-owner of Churchill�s Fireside and Patio in Austin, says if you haven�t looked at gas fireplaces with gas logs lately, you should look again. �The old logs looked like a big mound of cow poop,� she says. Now, she says, good, well-installed gas logs will take a few minutes for people to realize they ...
Many gas fireplaces don�t have logs at all. Some are being created with flames that surround stones, faux cannonballs or pieces of glass.
How big of a set you need depends on the size of your fireplace. The set will include the logs, the gas pan and the starter. A propane set will be more expensive because of the need to have a safety pilot. Sets run anywhere from $250 to $2,500. And if you want a remote to start and stop a fire with the press of a butto...
If you�re thinking of a gas fireplace and you don�t have natural gas or a propane tank, you can add a propane tank, but check with your homeowners association before adding a tank.
Q: What are the advantages of gas vs. wood?
A: A gas fireplace can be started and stopped at any point. With a wood fireplace, you have to wait until the fire is out to be able to go to bed or leave the house.
Gas fireplaces also are preferred for people with allergies or who don�t want the work of loading logs into the fireplace, sweeping out the ashes or bending down to light the fire.
What you give up is the smell and sound of a real fireplace and the ritual of creating a fire. There are incenses you can burn in a gas fireplace to add that wood smell and things you can add to get the crackling noise.
Often it�s a personal preference or living with what your home already has.
Q: My fireplace is ugly. What can I do?
A: Many new homes are built with black metal fireplace boxes as the base. It used to be that you would have to rebuild your fireplace if you wanted to change how it looks. Now, there are magnetic fireplace covers that attach to the black metal frame. They sell for about $1,000, but it�s cheaper than a new fireplace. Ch...
What wood should I use in my wood-burning fireplace? A hardwood is what you want to choose, says Austin Fire Department Battalion Chief Palmer Buck. Soft woods like cedar and pine can get out of control quickly and don�t burn as efficiently. And if you have that Christmas tree hanging around, don�t put it in the firepl...
Choose wood that�s seasoned � it�s been cut at least six months ago and the water content is diminished. New wood also puts off less heat and more creosote deposits in the chimney. Seasoned wood will have darkened ends with splits or cracks. It will make a clunk sound when two pieces are tapped together.
Q: Can I use a fireplace log like a Duraflame?
A: Yes, but only one at a time. Multiple fire logs burn too hot and they break down as they burn, sometimes leaving the grate. You�ll also need to clean your chimney more regularly if you use fire logs rather than wood.
How often should I clean my fireplace? You probably have heard you should clean it every year, but that�s not necessary, says Charles Fisk of Area Wide Chimney Sweep. You want to do it every 50 fires or every cord of wood for a wood-burning fireplace. A chimney sweep removes the creosote that clings to the chimney and ...
A gas-burning fireplace should be cleaned every five to 10 years. There are sprays to squirt on the logs to remove the soot and keep them looking good in the meantime. Embers also will need to be replaced every three to four years because of the soot.
Q: How should I start a fire?
A: First, pull on the damper to open up the flue. If smoke goes out instead of up, you�ll remember you forgot this important step. If you have a gas starter or gas logs, first light a long match or a long lighter, then slowly turn on the gas. Don�t turn on the gas first because it will fill the room and create a large ...
Never use a liquid accelerant, gasoline or charcoal in the fireplace. Instead use fire starters. A couple of household items also can do the trick. Roll dryer lint into little balls or coat cotton balls with Vaseline. You also can open up a snack pack of Doritos or Fritos and sprinkle those chips between the wood. The ...
Don�t use newspaper, other kinds of paper or garbage. It can break up and fly away easily.
Q: How can I be safe with fire?
A: Make sure you leave 2 feet of space around the fireplace and use the screen whenever there is a fire going. Don�t store wood or anything flammable next to it. Keep the damper open even after the fire has ended until you no longer feel heat from the fireplace. Even in a gas fireplace, the damper should be open.
In a wood-burning fireplace, you can keep some of the ashes beneath the grate to protect the floor of the fireplace, but you don�t want the ashes overflowing. After a fire, put used ashes in a metal bucket, wet them with water and store them away from the house for at least three days before putting them in a garbage b...
Always watch a fire and make sure that kids and pets stay away. You might want to add a portable screen around the fireplace to add a layer of protection between kids and pets and the fire.
Make sure you have a phone nearby to call the fire department and a fire extinguisher if the fire gets out of control. Starting the fire and adding a log are the two most dangerous times in fires, so make sure you are extra careful. And, of course, you should have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
The tamales at Rhoda's are irresistable and should only be consumed in batches of three, six or a dozen.
Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.
Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales are legendary. Are they really that good? Wanna bet? The story of a drop-in through Lake Village.
The number of animals testing positive for rabies spiked in the early 1990s in Massachusetts, but it has remained significantly lower for more than a decade.
After spiking in the early 1990s, the percentage of animals testing positive for rabies in Massachusetts has stayed significantly lower for more than a decade.
Still, people should be wary, especially as warm-weather outdoor activities increase, state public health veterinarian Catherine Brown of Pembroke said.
Three animals, including two domestic cats in West Roxbury, have tested positive for rabies in the last few weeks.
Most of the animals that test positive for the virus are skunks and raccoons, which are more visible at this time of year because it is their mating season, Brown said.
Chances of encountering a rabid animal in the wild are very low, but it’s always wise to “enjoy wildlife from a distance,” she said.
A more likely cause of rabies exposure is a bat getting into a house, Brown said.
Twelve percent of the 756 bats that the state laboratory tested in 2006 were found to be rabid.
“There are circumstances, even if there wasn’t a bite, that cause us concern when bats are in a home,” Brown said.
If someone was sleeping in a room before a bat was discovered there, the bat should be captured and the local health department notified so the animal can be tested for rabies, she said.
Rabies can be transmitted not only by a bite but by a scratch or an animal’s saliva.
How many people are bitten by rabid animals in Massachusetts is not known because the state does not keep records, Brown said.
All animals that are tested for rabies at the state lab had contact with humans or domestic animals, she said.
Cats, dogs, foxes, coyotes, otters and woodchucks are among the animals tested most often for rabies.
Five percent of the animals tested in 1992 were found to be rabid. The figure jumped to 18 percent in 1993, when a strain of rabies that primarily infected raccoons spread from the mid-Atlantic states, Brown said.
“As with any infectious disease, you’ll initially see a large number of cases and then a drop-off,” she said.
The rabid-animal percentage has not changed significantly in the last several years.
Thirty of the 131 skunks submitted to the state lab in the first nine months of 2007 tested positive.
Braintree Animal Control Officer David Littlewood said it is not unusual for him to get five calls a day from people concerned about rabies because they have seen a skunk that looked sick.
Littlewood said people are doing the right thing when they call him, and that he often can tell whether a skunk has rabies just by seeing it.
“People are concerned that the animal is staggering, but skunks naturally wobble when they walk, and they’re not the fastest-moving creatures,” he said.
He also looks for signs that the skunk may have been injured.
Infected animals often behave strangely. They may attack people or other animals without provocation or lose their fear of people and seem unnaturally friendly.
In general, people should avoid all wild animals and not touch stray cats and dogs, Brown said.
Travis Pastrana, driver of the #60 Valvoline NextGen Ford, races during the STP NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on July 21, 2013 in Joliet, Illinois.
NEWTON, Iowa -- Brad Keselowski made a busy weekend well worth the trouble.
The defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion was the lone driver making frequent trips between central Iowa and Pocono Raceway, where he'll compete in Sunday's premier series event.
Keselowski will be toting a gas pump trophy back with him after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series U.S. Cellular 250 on Saturday night at Iowa Speedway. He has won the last three Nationwide starts he has made for Penske Racing, despite not having a Sprint Cup victory this season.
"Flying back and forth is definitely work, but the work is worth the reward," Keselowski said. "That's having a fast race car and a great team to be able to come here to Iowa Speedway and win this."
The key moment of the race came after the third caution, with Keselowski started seventh with less than 50 laps remaining. As Trevor Bayne and Brian Vickers were battling side by side for the lead, Keselowski made his move.
He shot through the leaders, moving quickly to the front and grabbing the lead on lap 216.
The choice to take four new tires proved to be a winning strategy, despite slipping a spot in order.
"It was hard-fought to make it happen," Keselowski said. "Certainly, that yellow was a turning point in the race for us."
Crew chief Jeremy Bullins might have been at the heart of the decision, but he credited Keselowski for taking advantage of the situation.
"He took care of the rest of it," Bullins said. "He did a great job all night."
Not only did Keselowski overcome the other 39 drivers in the field, he persevered through a number of issues during the race.

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