British Telecom Plc will float a joint venture in India to provide high quality data and voice transfer via virtual private network (VPN) to corporate clients."The company plans to set up the JV, in which BT would hold 76%, within six months to offer VPN service," Andy Green, CEO (Global Sevices) of BT, said today."We are in the process of getting necessary regulatory clearances. We are going to apply for licence in India. Currently, we are scouting for a strategic partner for a joint venture kind of operation," he added.Asked about the investment size, Green said it would be 'huge', but declined to divulge further details regarding the partner and the investment plans. "This is a different ball game...We are very serious about this, and India is a crucial market for us," Green said.BT has a wholly-owned subsidiary in India and employs close to 12,000 people with plans to increase its headcount by 50% over the next three years. "We are generating revenue to the tune of $100 million from India. This is expected to grow to $250 million in three years, and we will be increasing our employee strength by 50%," Green said.
