Reliance Communications (RCom) is likely to launch an initial public offering of about Rs 7,500 crore for its undersea cable unit Flag Telecom this quarter to list it on the Singapore Stock Exchange.
The company may sell up to 75% of its holding in Flag Telecom, which is being valued at Rs 7,500-10,000 crore, sources said.
The proceeds of the IPO would accrue to RCom, which has appointed Deutsche Bank, DBS Singapore, Standard Chartered and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China as bankers to the issue.
In a filing to the BSE, RCom today said it is "evaluating a potential initial public offering and listing in Singapore of its subsea telecommunications infrastructure network business, through a Singapore business trust".
Sources said RCom has filed papers for the $1.5 billion (about Rs 7,500-crore) share sale of Flag Telecom, which would be listed as a business trust on the main Singapore exchange, SGX-SP.
RCom expects that by 2015, there will be nearly 15 billion network connections via devices (up from seven billion in 2010), including machine to machine, and more than two connections for each person.
With growing Internet traffic, there is a huge opportunity for companies like RCom, which provide infrastructure for such services through undersea cables.
According to an investor presentation, RCom's subsea cable assets have a market share of 20% of all capacity sold across its six routes.
RCom had acquired Flag Telecom, the undersea cable business, in 2003 for about $207 million.
RCom has been exploring various routes of raising funds, including selling stake in its telecom tower arm, Reliance Infratel.
Last year, a deal to sell stake to tower major GTL Infrastructure for $11 billion ( Rs 50,000 crore) fell apart.
As of quarter ended December 2011, the company had a debt amounting to over Rs 36,000 crore.
RCom is the flagship company of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group. The group has a networth in excess of Rs 89,000 crore ($19.7 billion).