Asiana21

INDIA INC WOOS AFRICA

Indrajit Basu

Asia Times, April 27, 2010

KOLKATA - Bharti Airtel's planned US$10.7 billion acquisition of Kuwait-based Zain Group's African telecom operations will, if completed, set a milestone as the largest telecom deal yet by an Indian company.

The purchase by Bharti, India's largest private-sector telecom company, is also the latest example of the rapid strides the country is taking towards developing interests in Africa.

Indian companies are now doing business in more than 20 African countries, while the Indian government has given more than $2 billion worth of grants and credit to African countries over the past six years for various projects. Indian companies are "helping the Indian government to develop closer economic and political ties with Africa as well as contributing incredibly to society by helping the African people to improve their quality of their lives," said Shipra Tripathy, head Africa desk of the industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry.

Bharti is following other Indian corporations ranging from Tata Group to Dr Reddy's Labs that have invested close to $6 billion in Africa over the past few years. Others involved in the continent are Videocon, Suzlon, Godrej, Mahindra and Mahindra, UB Group, Cipla, NIIT, Kirloskar and Essar.

(...) [artículo aquí]