IndiaÆs largest telecoms merger misses deadline

It was the merger that would have created the largest cellular company in India. When cellular giants Birla-AT&T-Tata (Batata) and BPL Communications signed an agreement in June 2001 to form a joint venture, industry participants were agog with enthusiasm about the prospects for the telecoms industry in India. Everyone assumed it was a done deal and the merger would have accounted for 24% of cellular subscribers covering 44% of the population and 51% of all fixed line telephone users.