Telecom major Bharti Airtel chief Sunil Mittal has thanked partner SingTel for standing by it in the $10.7-billion takeover of Kuwaiti telecom giant Zain's African business.
State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) is likely to exit the consortium comprising Delhi-based Vavasi Group and Malaysia's Al-Bukhary to acquire 46 per cent in Kuwait's Zain Telecom.Talks, which have been on for two months, have fallen through over valuations, and Vavasi is expected to announce a new consortium partner in a week or two. Vavasi Group Managing Director Farid Afruddin declined to comment on this information.
It also had other suitors like French company Vivendi, Egyptian company Etisalat and even MTN.
It is not clear, however, whether the two players are considering a majority stake or would be content as investors with 26 per cent.
A consortium led by Delhi-based Vavasi group has sent feelers to China Mobile, the world's largest telecom company, for a possible joint bid for Zain Telecom, adding another element of complexity to the battle for the Kuwait-based company that involves India's two state-owned telecom service providers.
Bharti Airtel said it might look at diluting some of its equity either at Bharti Airtel or at its tower subsidiary as one of the options to fund the $10.7-billion acquisition of African assets of Zain Telecom.
Telecom giant Bharti Airtel on Tuesday said it would pay about $9 billion (nearly Rs 42,000 crore) to buy African assets of Kuwait-based Zain, announcement of which pulled down Indian firm's share prices by 13 per cent in two days.
The loans in rupees would cover any associated transaction costs. Standard Chartered Bank, State Bank of India and Barclays are the major contributors to this debt portfolio.
It was a sweet homecoming of sorts for Sanjay Dutt when he visited Kashmir to shoot his Tamil film, Leo.
Check out who logged in to see the Mumbai-Bangalore game...
The raids were conducted at the premises of suspects in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh and Kozhikode district of Kerala, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
Abhimanyu entered the bronze-medal playoff but other Indian free-style wrestlers had a disappointing day at the World Championships in Belgrade on Sunday.
Gehraiyaan seems to be aurally thin, which serves as a clue to the larger issues plaguing the movie, observes Rohit Sathish Nair.
Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi's chemistry in this wicked relationship drama is simply SUPERB, applauds Namrata Thakker.
Genelia D'Souza and Riteish Deshmukh threw a birthday party for their son Riaan, who turned eight on November 25.
Deepika Padukone embodies to perfection the Gehraiyaan in the title, applauds Sukanya Verma.
amed Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Iyengar yoga exponent Deidra Demens, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and prominent American singer Mary Millben were among the eminent personalities who joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a unique yoga session at the UN Headquarters.
Please click on the images for glimpses of the stars Pradeep Bandekar sighted on Thursday.
Take a cue from these celebrity parents and spend quality time with your kids doing fun activities this Children's Day!
As the second season of The Night Manager hits the OTT screen, Deepa Gahlot looks back at the top spy thrillers on streaming platforms.
Dinesh married Dipika in 2015 in both traditional Hindu and Christian ceremonies.
Mukhbir: The Story Of A Spy makes up in elegance of language and production design what it lacks in flashy derring do that most actioners rely on to keep the audience hooked, observes Deepa Gahlot. Mukhbir: The Story Of A Spy Review
Deepa Gahlot lists some interesting made-for-OTT hostage dramas that you can watch.
Rediff.com Contributing Photographer Pradeep Bandekar glimpsed these stars on Tuesday
The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2023, held at Mumbai's Taj Land's End hotel, saw some Bollywood and television stars in attendance.
Rediff.com Contributing Photographer Pradeep Bandekar glimpsed these stars over the weekend.
The idea of weaponization got a fillip from an unexpected quarter. In the last week of October 1985, Rajiv met US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan told Rajiv, 'Pakistan has already made a bomb.' When Rajiv started talking about disarmament, the US president cut him short, 'Don't talk theory, think of your own protection.'
The 1,000-year-old Sahastrabahu temple is dedicated to mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, and the relationship they share.
The tallest fashionistas take their rightful place on our style chart.
Photographer Pradeep Bandekar catches showbiz folk going about their starry lives.
Raveena is sunny... Divyanka is radiant... Shweta is indestructible...
With a pathological liar and poseur at the centre of the show and in practically every frame, one can't help but wonder what the makers were thinking, notes Deepa Gahlot. Good Bad Girl Review
Rani Mukerji took a break from the promotions of her next film Mardaani and threw a party for her daughter Adira's fourth birthday on December 9.
Ranbir meets up with family... Allu Arjun celebrates his anniversary... Shahid shares picture with son...
Stories of rural India, campus capers, realistic family dramas and urban romance that are no longer picked up by film-makers, find their way to the Web, and the viewing experience is richer for the variety available.
Kaavan, the world's loneliest elephant, will finally get a chance to live in a place he can call home.
Bollywood celebrates their children with adorable pictures and lovely words on Children's Day.
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