Sector analysts say that it takes little time for rivals to catch up with any feature. Obsolescence sets in within months, if not weeks. Here, says Kohli, the first-mover advantage is often crucial: "We were the first to introduce Hello Tunes (caller ringtone). Our competitors also offered the service. But our penetration of 40 per cent is amongst the highest in the world."

Bharti Airtel's latest innovation is to help the consumer activate or stop a service with the use of his handset. "This way, we have empowered the customer. There is no need to call the company for it," says Joshi.

The brand promise also needs to be backed with availability. The Airtel mobile service is available in 425,000 of the 600,000 villages in the country and all the 5,000 towns. The distribution network is being expanded from 1.2 million retailers to 2 million by the end of 2010.

Since retailers are known to push brands which offer them the best profit margin, Kohli says the brand pull will hold Airtel in good stead.