Reliance Jio effect: Bharti Airtel gets Telenor for free

Bharti to spend Rs 1,600 cr for spectrum payout over 10 years; Telenor to service its own debt

In what will lead to yet another multinational exit in the telecom space, Bharti Airtel on Thursday announced the acquisition of Telenor India. It’s a no-cash deal, which will see Norway’s telco packing up and leaving the country, as business had become unsustainable. 

While the companies refused to speak on the size of the deal, sources in the know pegged Bharti’s cost of acquisition at Rs 1,600 crore. This money will be used for paying the outstanding amount for the spectrum that Telenor has acquired, it is learnt. Bharti Airtel will also take over Telenor’s contracts for tower lease and