MTN - Bharti merger delayed

Publié: 28 Juillet 2009
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India's Bharti Airtel and South Africa's MTN Group are likely to extend the July 31 deadline for their merger deal.



The delay is due to regulatory complications, as well as to uncertainties as to the role of

SingTel’s role in the deal. SingTel owns about 30% in Bharti, India's biggest telecom operator by subscriber numbers. The strength of the South African currency may also be affecting talks. The currency has performed well due to announcements of a potential merger and has fallen with news of the delay.



Bharti and MTN revived talks about this USD23 billion merger, which would create one of the largest mobile telecommunications companies in the world, in May 2009. Merger talks last year failed as they couldn't reach an agreement on the structure of the deal.