Towercos own 68.4% of India’s 461,016 towers, so when the country’s #2 and #3 MNOs merge, who both happen to be partners in the country’s leading joint venture towerco, you can expect significant repercussions. Sure enough, tower ownership is being re-organised and there is mounting speculation that MNO consolidation will trigger renewed towerco consolidation. In an article featuring exclusive quotes from Bharti Infratel Chairman Akhil Gupta, TowerXchange reviews the MNO consolidation afoot in India, summarises anticipated triggered tower transactions, and forecasts the structure of the Indian tower market in 2020.
Consolidation among India’s MNOs
The merger of equals of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, creating a new 395mn subscriber market leader, headlines an array of proposed MNO consolidation which will restructure India’s tower market as much as it will the country’s mobile market.
