MTNL eyes global acquisitions

t’s not just private telcos like Bharti or Essar but state-run telecom company, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL), is also keen on calling on Africa. MTNL had recently partnered with BSNL to bid for Zain Telecom, which has large operations in Africa. But the deal never happened. So, now MTNL is going solo, but the going may not be easy. MTNL has licence to operate only in Delhi and Mumbai and this has been stifling the company's growth. The telecom officials recently appealed to the prime minister's office to allow them to move into other parts of the country, which at present are under BSNL. A first step towards that would be by entering areas adjoining Delhi and Mumbai. Meanwhile, MTNL is also looking to raise money by hiving off its real estate into a separate subsidiary. It owns real estate worth Rs 4000-5000 crore in Delhi and Mumbai.