Exhibit - 6
(VSNL LOGO)
Satish Ranade
Company Secretary & VP (Legal)
HQ/CS/CL.24B/10711
29 April 2004
Sir,
Sub: Press Release
Please find sent herewith a Press Release captioned "VSNL commences
installation of Tata Indicom India-Singapore Cable in Chennai" which is being
issued today.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
For Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited
Satish Ranade
CS & VP(L)
To:
1) Security Code 23624, The Stock Exchange, Mumbai. Fax No.(22) 22722061,
22721072/22722037
2) The Secretary, Madras Stock Exchange Limited. Fax No.(44) 524 48 97.
3) Security Code 32149, The Secretary, Calcutta Stock Exchange Assn. Ltd, Fax
No.(33)2202514/2283724.
4) Security Code 5251, The Asst. Manager (Listing), National Stock Exchange of
India Limited. Fax Nos.: (22) 26598237/38.
5) National Securities Depository Ltd. Fax Nos. : 2497 29 93.
6) Mr. Vijay Bhojwani, The Bank of New York. Fax No.2204 49 42.
7) Sharepro Services. Fax No. 2837 5646
8) Marc H. Iyeki,Director, New York Stock Exchange, Fax No: (212) 656-5071/72/
Madhu Kannan, Managing Director, New York Stock Exchange, Fax No: (212)
265-2016
9) Mr. Hitendra Patil, Vice President (Operations) Central Depository Services
(India) Limited. Fax : 2267 3199.
10) Mr. Pavithra Kumar, for SEC filing requirements, Fax 1195
(VSNL LOGO)
PRESS RELEASE
VSNL COMMENCES INSTALLATION OF TATA INDICOM INDIA-SINGAPORE CABLE IN CHENNAI
- Tata Indicom, among the World's Fastest Built Submarine Cables, to be
Ready for Use in Q4
CHENNAI, APRIL 29, 2004: VSNL, India's leading Telecom and Internet Service
Provider announced the commencement of the terminal equipment Installation
activity of Tata Indicom India-Singapore Cable System in Chennai. Mr. N.
Srinath, Director - Operations, VSNL today participated in the project
commencement ceremony (Bhoomi Pooja) at the cable's landing station in Chennai,
India. THE CEREMONY MARKED THE COMMENCEMENT OF TERMINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION
ACTIVITY OF THE TATA INDICOM CABLE, WHICH IS LIKELY TO BE AMONG THE WORLD'S
FASTEST BUILT INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE CABLES TO BE 'LIGHTED UP' IN THE FOURTH
QUARTER OF 2004. The Tata Indicom cable system connecting Chennai and Singapore
aims to significantly enhance India's connectivity into the Asia-Pacific region
and US, via the Pacific.
VSNL has signed a supply contract for the new undersea fiber optic system with
Tyco Telecommunications, one of the world's leading providers of undersea fiber
optic systems, marine services. The company has also entered into a strategic
partnership with Asia Netcom, under which, VSNL's proposed Tata Indicom
India-Singapore Cable will land at Asia Netcom's cable landing station in
Singapore.
"THE TATA INDICOM UNDERSEA CABLE WILL ENSURE THAT OUR ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS AND
BROADBAND SUBSCRIBERS GET END TO END CONNECTIVITY ON OUR ROBUST ILD AND NLD
NETWORK. THE CABLE WILL CATER TO THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR INTERNATIONAL
BANDWIDTH TO AND FROM INDIA, AND FURTHER INCREASE THE DIVERSITY AND ROBUSTNESS
OF OUR SERVICE OFFERINGS", said Mr. N. Srinath, Director (Operations), VSNL.
"THE CABLE IS IN LINE WITH OUR VISION TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVELS OF
SERVICE, UPTIME AND RELIABILITY SO AS TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE OF OUR
CORPORATE AND RETAIL CUSTOMERS", HE ADDED.
This new 3175 km state-of-the-art cable system will have an initial capacity of
320 Gbps with the ability to scale up to its design capacity of 5.12 Tbps. With
an estimated operating lifespan of 25 years, this "Tata Indicom India Singapore
Cable" system will connect Chennai to Singapore, from where onward extension to
the US and other significant geographies is readily available at competitive
prices.
KEY FACTS ABOUT TATA INDICOM INDIA-SINGAPORE CABLE:
Landing Stations : 2
System Length : 3175 km
Initial System Capacity : 320 Gbps
Design Capacity : 5.12 Tbps
ABOUT VSNL
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, first telecom service provider in the world to get
the prestigious TL 9000 certification, is India's leading provider of
International Telecommunications and Internet Services. As the country's leader
in International Long Distance services and with a strong pan-India National
Long Distance presence, VSNL is the leader in the Corporate Data Market in the
country today with a strong service offering covering IPLCs, ILLs, Frame relay,
ATM and MPLS based IP-VPN services. With established relations with over 80
carriers across the globe, VSNL today has a strong infrastructure base that
covers multiple gateways, earth stations and submarine cable systems.
Tata-managed VSNL is now rapidly growing its retail and corporate presence under
the Tata Indicom brand through its products like high speed broadband, dial-up
Internet, net telephony and calling cards, and has an internet subscriber base
of over 8,00,000 subscribers. The Company also proposes to consolidate its
presence in the Internet space by increasing its impetus on the Retail Broadband
business. VSNL also offers a host of other valued added services that include
Television / Video uplinking, Program transmission services, Frame relay
services and Inmarsat services.
VSNL is in the process of expanding its global presence and is setting up
operations in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Europe and the United States of America. Its
international connectivity capabilities, both undersea as well as satellite,
offer the greatest diversity in India, which is critical for all customer
segments, encompassing wholesale, corporate and retail. The company is
augmenting its international connectivity by setting up a 3175 km undersea
cable between Chennai and Singapore with a designed capacity of 5.12 tera bits.
VSNL is listed across all the major stock exchanges in India and also has its
ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange. (www.vsnl.com)
FORWARD-LOOKING AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS:
Certain words and statements in this release concerning VSNL and its prospects,
and other statements relating to VSNL's expected financial position, business
strategy, the future development of VSNL's operations and the general economy in
India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results,
performance or achievements of VSNL, or industry results, to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding VSNL's
present and future business strategies and the environment in which VSNL will
operate in the future. The important factors that could cause actual results,
performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking
statements include, among others, changes in government policies or regulations
of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of VSNL's
industry, and changes in general economic, business and credit conditions in
India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or
achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of
which are not in VSNL's control, include, but are not limited to, those risk
factors discussed in VSNL's various filings with the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. VSNL
expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any
updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to
reflect any change in VSNL's expectations with regard thereto or any change in
events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Dr. G. C. Banik, Chief General Manager (PR),
Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, Mr. Rajeev Balakrishnan
Tel: 91-22-5639 5153 Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
Tel: 91-44-_________