Norwegian telco Telenor is in early stage talks with India’s Tata Teleservices over a potential partnership, according to the Hindu Business Line citing sources close to the matter.
An alliance could see the merger of the assets of Telenor’s Indian…
Norwegian telco Telenor is in early stage talks with India’s Tata Teleservices over a potential partnership, according to the Hindu Business Line citing sources close to the matter.
An alliance could see the merger of the assets of Telenor’s Indian JV, Uninor, with Tata Teleservices.
The other option would be for Telenor to acquire part or all of Japanese NTT Docomo’s 26% stake in Tata Teleservices, reported the local newspaper.
But in mid-June, it had been suggested that Telenor was in advanced talks with Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal to create a new telecoms venture.
Reacting to the report in an emailed statement to TelecomFinance, Telenor said: “We have always stated that we have a long-term intention in India and expect a fair auction framework that allows us to consider participation. We also expect that the deadline ordered by the Supreme Court is being adhered to.”
Telenor refused to comment any further on the specific details of the report, describing it as “speculation regarding our future course in India”.
A few weeks ago, the company said it was expecting to take part in the upcoming 2G auction, scheduled for this summer. Like many other Indian mobile operators, Uninor has had its 2G licences cancelled following the Supreme Court’s verdict on the 2G scam.
Before the auction takes place, Telenor is hoping to find a new partner for Uninor. For many months now, the Norwegian company and its current JV partner, Indian real estate company Unitech, have been involved in a legal dispute over the management of Uninor.
