Bharti Mtn Deal

With so much of Drama and Media hype and hope of a proposed Bharti-MTN merger, the economic environment in the country received a huge bolt with the failure of the deal on September 30. The deal was of such an extent that the top political leaders of both India and South Africa had to intervene. Many view the outcome as a failure of India Inc while others feel that India Inc has had many successes in the past and in future too we can hope to see some large merger and acquisitions by Indian companies, including the likes of Bharti. Some also see the breakdown of the deal as an opportunity for Bharti to explore the 3G space.
Whatever the outcome was, one thing is for sure that this proposed deal will stand as one of the most significant developments in the corporate history.
Background
About Bharti Airtel:
Telecom giant Bharti Airtel is the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises. The Bharti Group has a diverse business portfolio and has created global brands in the telecommunication sector. Airtel is India’s largest integrated and the first private telecom services provider with a footprint in all the 23 telecom circles.
In May 2009 Airtel crossed 100 million subscribers and became the 3rd largest in-country mobile operator by subscriber base globally, behind China Mobile and China Unicom.
About MTN
The MTN Group is a leading provider of communication services, offering cellular network access and business solutions. The MTN Group is listed in South Africa on the JSE under the Industrial – Telecommunications sector.
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. MTN has recorded more than 103.2 million subscribers across its operations.
MTN Group operating regions
Initial attempts for Merger:
However, talks fell through after a few days and Bharti Airtel pulled out of the proposed deal on May 24. Two days later, it was reported that another Indian... [continues]

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