Nokia, Hutch-Essar ink Rs 240cr deal

Nokia today bagged a network management contract from Hutchison-Essar for about Rs 240 crore.

Nokia, as part of the contract, would take over 600 employees of Hutch-Essar on its rolls, an official statement said today.

Although officials from both sides were quiet on the amount of the outsourcing deal, sources said the contract was for about Rs 240 crore.

Asim Ghosh, MD of Hutchison-Essar, refused to comment on the figure saying the deal was more important than the amount involved.

The managed services business is a key division of services business unit and a core part of the company's drive to help operators enhance service offerings and reduce costs, the Nokia statement said.

The contract is for a period of five years and covers nine out of the 13 Hutch-Essar circles. The nine circles are Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Uttar Pradesh (east and west), Rajasthan, Haryana and West Bengal.