Virgin Mobile to enter India

LONDON/MUMBAI: British billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Mobile is readying to enter the Indian market in a venture with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd, the Times reported yesterday.

Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata was understood to be in talks with Virgin about the British mobile firm becoming an exclusive franchisee of his conglomerate’s telecoms arm, the newspaper said without citing sources.

The tie-up could be operating as early as April, it added.

A comment was not immediately available from Virgin Mobile.

A spokesman for Tata Teleservices declined to comment on the report.

“We receive alliance proposals from time to time, and would announce any agreement we may enter into when appropriate,” he said. – Reuters

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