Hutch Essar completes BPL Mobile acquisition

Hutchison Essar today announced the completion of the acquisition of BPL Mobile Cellular - the holder of cellular mobile licences for Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

"We have completed the acquisition of the three BPL circles, and look forward to driving significant growth in the circles," Asim Ghosh, MD of Hutchison Essar, said in a release issued today.

According to the latest data released by Cellular Operators Association of India, BPL Mobile Cellular had over 1.56 million subscribers on December 31, 2005. The completion of the merger will take the total subscribers of Hutchison Essar to approximately 13 million.