New Delhi: Spice Telecom, Punjab''s leading cellular service provider, in association with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd, the leading private sector general insurance company in India, has announced yet another unique offer for Spice customers: insurance cover for mobile handsets.

This unique insurance cover for handsets will insure all new and first-hand handsets bought from authorised dealers and distributors. Spice is the only operator in the region to offer such an insurance cover on handsets at very affordable premium levels. Moreover, this insurance is available to the customer on the spot at the point of purchase, making it convenient and practical.

The new mobile phone insurance for Spice Telecom customers not only provides the market value if the phone is totally unusable, but also covers the repair charges if the phone is damaged. In the event of a claim, the subscriber just needs to call the toll free number 9814654321 and inform the Spice call centre of the loss. The insurance cover will be applicable for all handsets that are not more than six months old.

Says Swarn Bajaj, general manager (marketing), Spice Telecom Punjab: "People these days have started spending considerable amount on mobile handsets with new and trendy gadgets coming into the market every day. This initiative will take care of the monetary loss faced by the customers due to the loss of their handsets.

"We are the first service provider in Punjab to offer insurance cover on mobile handsets and this is in sync with our initiative to offer maximum value addition and convenience to our subscribers. We look forward to a warm welcome from our subscribers to our unique initiative and further provide them with superior quality services."

Says Kartik Jain, head (marketing and alliances), ICICI Lombard: "Our constant endeavour is to innovate and bring in better products and services to our customers. And with a partner like Spice Telecom, the job gets so much easier. The mobile phone insurance is the first of its kind in the Indian market to be offered as a separate packaged policy to all retail mobile phone subscribers, old or new.

"And at a cost that anybody can afford. The need from the consumer was always there, but nobody was willing to service them. Based on our ongoing research to understand consumer needs and wants, we will launch many more innovative and exciting products in the coming months."

Spice Telecom has been the frontrunner for introducing insurance services in Punjab through its exclusive tie-up with ICICI Lombard, offering special general insurance cover under three categories — home insurance, personal care, merchant''s cover and, now, mobile handset insurance.