Bharti plans stake on south African MTN

Bharti Airtel has begun a dialogue with Johannesburg-listed telecom firm MTN to acquire a 51% stake in the company for a whopping $19 bn. If the deal is struck, it will be the biggest ever buyout by any Indian company.
The telecom secretary further said that entering into the US and European market would be even more challenging. “The Indian companies will definitely look into the strategic synergy while entering into foreign markets. I feel, entering the Europe and US telecom markets will be a tough proposition,” he said.
Analysts also feel that the larger Indian telecom players will follow the trend set by Bharti Airtel. “I am certainly expecting Reliance Communications to look at the overseas market. Tata Teleservices will also look at opportunities abroad as I feel, it is the only way the group can grow in future,” said an analyst working with an international research and analysis firm which deals with global M&A activities.