News & Press
Early Entrepreneurial Journey of Mr. Ranjit Singh Masuta
During this period of time a young Sikh Gentlemen Mr. Ranjit Singh Masuta a resident from Basel / Switzerland who was initially involved in trading scrap metal business, this initiated him to make international calls to several destinations making direct calls via mobile phones were very expensive therefore he used another method known as callback service that reduced the calling cost per minute and increased the calling time while he was saving money for international telephone calls an idea was born to introduce the similar services to the public by developing a software for the Telephone Shops also known has call shops with cabins in main cities in Switzerland and rest of the neighboring European cities. This helped many of the cosmopolitan residents and the tourists to walk in and make discounted long-distance telephone calls at an affordable price to their families, friends and business clients living in APAC, Africa, LATAM, CALA Region, EU, Middle East & to the USA.
Establishment of D.M Enterprise Telephone Shop
D.M Enterprise GmbH Telephone shop was first of its kind to be opened in 1995 at SBB Bahnhof Basel Unterführung ( Basel Railway Station underground). The Discount International Telephone shop consisted of 12 wooden cabins which were designed for the customers to dial and have a relaxed conversation to their home countries. The need for making a discount long distance international calls was on the rise and therefore the second call shop was opened at Claragraben, Basel from there onwards branches were opened in Basel and other commercial and touristic cities throughout Switzerland. The call shops had its own real time billing software which helped the customers to see the name of the calling country, dialed number, call begin, Call end duration of minutes plus seconds spoken and the total amount. The Call-Shop Solutions and Real Time Billing Software was developed by Mr. Roland Schenk & Team from AVC Schenk & Biesuz GmbH based in Switzerland
Recognition and Collaboration with U.S. Companies
Once the Long Distance Int'l Discount Telephone Shop became a success model the US based Telecom Carriers visited Switzerland and after meeting Ranjit Singh Masuta who was the early starter in call shop solutions they wanted to have a joint venture operations of the identical discount Telephone shop model with cabins and call shop solutions in the USA and Europe. This idea and partnership model between the US based Telecom Carriers and Mr.Ranjit Singh Masuta was published in a news article called Newsweek Magazine USA in the month of 1997.
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Telecommunications Liberalization in Switzerland
European regulations required that the liberalization of the national Telecommunications market in most European countries completed on 1 January 1998. In Switzerland the end of the PTT monopoly process began with the Telecommunications Enterprise Act of 1997, which fully deregulated the Swiss market for telecommunications. This legislation dissolved the PTT, the state-owned Postal, Telephone, and Telegraph services that had existed since 1920. Effective January 1, 1998, the PTT was officially split into two separate, state-owned companies Swisscom Ltd-The new, publicly limited telecommunications company that would operate in the liberalized market and Swiss Post-The separate institution responsible for postal and financial services. Switzerland's mobile phone network was digitized under the name NATEL D in 1992, and by 1997, digital GSM service was widespread. This provided a foundation for the significant growth that followed deregulation.
Ranjit Singh Masuta is the first Sikh in Switzerland to build the first Gurdwara Sahib in a traditional Sikh architectural style a unique landmark in all of Europe
English Translation of a Historic Swiss Newspaper Article: This remarkable article from Basler Zeitung, published on 27 December 2005, records a defining and historic moment in the religious and cultural landscape of Switzerland. It features Ranjit Singh Masuta and his visionary initiative to establish the first Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Switzerland in the town of Langenthal. Under the striking headline “Ein Basler mit Turban hat grosse Pläne” — “A man from Basel with a turban has big plans” — the newspaper presents Masuta as a dignified pioneer whose foresight would shape the future of the Sikh community across the country.
At a time when Sikhs in Switzerland gathered for prayer in rented halls, industrial rooms, and private homes, the absence of a true spiritual centre was deeply felt. This article captures the turning point when that absence was about to be transformed into a permanent, architecturally authentic, and spiritually meaningful landmark — designed in traditional Sikh style, unprecedented in Switzerland and rare in Europe. The report explains that the Gurdwara was envisioned to be far more than a place of worship.
A Vision Beyond Worship:
- A spiritual sanctuary for prayer and reflection.
- A cultural and educational center open to all communities.
- A place of hospitality through the tradition of Langar, where all are welcomed equally.
- A symbol of integration, dignity, and religious harmony within Swiss society.
Portrayed as calm, principled, and determined, Ranjit Singh Masuta is described as a bridge between Sikh heritage and Swiss civic life. His vision represented not only devotion to faith, but also a meaningful contribution to multicultural understanding in Switzerland. This English translation faithfully preserves the spirit and meaning of the original German publication, allowing readers to appreciate an important historical milestone in the development of the Sikh community in Switzerland.
Bridging Punjab and Switzerland:
Visit of Former Hon Chief Minister Smt Rajinder Kaur Bhattal
Former Hon Punjab Chief Minister Smt Rajinder Kaur Bhattal visiting Langenthal, Switzerland, welcomed by community leader Ranjit Masuta, highlighting the strong cultural ties between Punjab and the Swiss Sikh community.
Moving Worlds Forward