Long slog ahead for Vodafone-Idea

By consolidating the network and freeing up spectrum, the merger will help bring huge savings

The coming together of Vodafone and Idea Cellular — the biggest merger in Indian corporate history — is underway. While a few regulatory clearances are still awaited, the leadership team has been announced late last month. Vodafone-Idea will be the largest telecom company by market share, revenue and subscriber base. The anticipated synergies are expected to be around $10 billion over the next three years or so. And so, it is a good time as any, to ask: Will this merger provide a moat for Vodafone-Idea to stave off the brutal attack from Reliance Jio?

By all reckoning, the answers are