\tIndian operator Bharti Airtel reportedly attracted further attention from overseas investors, with SoftBank tipped to be exploring taking a stake in the company days after Singtel was linked to a similar move.<\/p>\n
The Japanese giant was said to be in talks to take either a direct stake in Airtel or an indirect holding via the operator\u2019s parent company, CNBC reported citing local press.<\/p>\n
Discussions are in the early stages, with the structure and price of any deal still being assessed, the news outlet noted.<\/p>\n
If the report is accurate it would represent the second major interest in Airtel in almost as many days after Singapore-based Singtel was linked [1] with a similar bid to increase its holding by expanding its stake in Bharti Telecom, the Indian operator\u2019s major shareholder.<\/p>\n
CNBC noted SoftBank previously forged a joint venture with Bharti Enterprises covering social media, gaming and e-commerce. The Japanese company and Singtel also both invested in Airtel Africa [2] as part of a funding round conducted in late 2018.<\/p>\n
Airtel\u2019s domestic performance was something of a blot in its fiscal Q1 [3] (calendar Q2), offsetting growth in its South Asia and Africa segments and contributing to a net loss of INR28.6 billion ($402 million).<\/p>\n[1] https:\/\/www.mobileworldlive.com\/asia\/asia-news\/singtel-to-up-investment-in-airtel-holding-company\/
\n[2] https:\/\/www.mobileworldlive.com\/featured-content\/top-three\/airtel-africa-bags-1-25b-investment-ahead-of-ipo\/
\n[3] https:\/\/www.mobileworldlive.com\/featured-content\/top-three\/airtel-slips-into-the-red-as-jio-tops-india-subs-count\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Indian operator Bharti Airtel reportedly attracted further attention from overseas investors, with SoftBank tipped to …<\/p>\n
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