The Hindu Business Line : Bharti Airtel investing $200 m in Sri Lanka

New Delhi, Aug. 15 Bharti Airtel Lanka Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Ltd, on Wednesday said that it will be investing $200 million over the next two years for offering mobile services in Sri Lanka.

Mobile Services

The company plans to launch both 2G and 3G services in Sri Lanka by the end of the current financial year.

The mobile services from Bharti Airtel will be launched under the Airtel brand in the Island nation. Mr Sanjay Kapoor, President, Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said: “We are committed to offering world-class and affordable 2G and 3G services to customers in Sri Lanka. With mobile penetration of around 30 per cent and growing at a rate of approximately 2 million mobile users per annum, we are excited about our entry into this market. Our plans for Sri Lanka clearly demonstrate our commitment to the market and also our confidence in the potential that this market holds in Airtel’s overseas expansion journey.”

Since the company is currently setting up its operations, a major portion of the committed investment will be made during the next 12 to 18 months.

Bharti Airtel was recently awarded the licence to become the fifth mobile service provider in Sri Lanka.

Dialog Telekom, a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia, is the country’s leading service provider.

The other operators in the country are Mobitel, Celltel Lanka and Hutchison Telecommunications.

The move is part of Bharti’s strategy to expand its operations beyond India. The company had bid for licences in Qatar, Kenya and Kuwait. Bharti is also eyeing developing countries in Africa and Asia to expand its footprint.

The telecom major had expressed interest in picking up stake in the national telecom operators of Gabon in Africa. It has started operations in Seychelles and Channel Islands.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Denying gratuity under Act is legal only if there is termination: HC

Bharti Airtel investing $200 m in Sri Lanka

Govt allows MMTC to import cement sans BIS mark

PM promises policies for rapid industrialisation

Increasing disconnect between economy and stock market

Technical snag hits RIL testing activity in Cauvery block

30,000 MW to be added using imported N-fuel

SCI mulls diversifying into shipbuilding

Mayawati’s latest — A different obsession for sugar sector

Iron ore prices may rise further

Flexibility needed in ‘linkage model’: Survey