PE-Backed Bahrain Telecom Buys 49% In Indian Telco For $225M

Bahrain Telecom has bought stake in Chennai-based S Tel, which has licenses to operate in six states in India.

Gulf-based Bahrain Telecommunications Co has agreed to acquire a 49% stake in Indian mobile operator S Tel Ltd for $225 million. S Tel has licenses to operate in 6 Indian states - Bihar, Orissa, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, North East and Assam. Bahrain Telecom has been backed by Millennium Private Equity in this deal. Both Millennium and Bahrain Telecom have formed a combined entity Batelco Millennium India Company Limited (BMICL) to purchase the shares in S Tel.

S Tel had also applied for a pan-India GSM license. This would be the second Gulf-based telco to buy into an Indian firm which owns telecom licence. UAE-based Emirates Telecommunications Corporation had agreed to acquire 45% stake in India's Swan Telecom for around $900 million.

Chennai-based S Tel is promoted by Skycity Foundations and Mauritius-based Telecom Investments. The real identity of the investors of S Tel is not known. The directors of the company, as mentioned on the company website, are S Natarajan, Santhosh Robert and Padmavathy Suresh. Bahrain Telecom has operations in six countries in the Middle East.

India is one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world with mobile subscription growing at 9 to 10 million a month. Last year has witnessed several telecom deals where foreign players have entered Inda. Japan's NTT DoCoMo has signed a deal with Tata Teleservices and Norway's Telenor has bought a majority stake in Unitech Wireless.

"The successful completion of this deal supports our growth and expansion strategy in wireless and broadband markets and boosts Batelco's long term plans to diversify our geographical footprint and dramatically increase our scale," said Bahrain Telecom Chief Executive Peter Kaliaropoulos.

With this deal, Datacom and Loop Telecom remain the only players who were assigned spectrum licences last year and are yet to find a partner to start telecom operations in India. Datacom has been involved in a corporate battle between its shareholders Mahendra Nahata (36%) and the Dhoots of Videocon Group (64%). The two parties are reported to be close to an agreement and may finalise a partner soon.

Loop Telecom has raised some funds from Mauritius based companies but they were said to be financial investors. The clarity over shareholding of Loop is yet to emerge, and it is under investigation from ministry of corporate affairs.

Also there are several international players like British Telecom, Telecom Italia, AT&T, Americal Movil etc. who have been looking for entry into the Indian market.
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Suzuki Access 125

Suzuki Access is the newest Suzuki product to be launched in the Indian market. At 125cc, the variomatic scooter will serve to fill the gap between 100cc and 150cc scooters in India. With a rust free body, four-stroke engine and automatic transmission, this baby is definitely going to go places! Not only does the scooter have great looks, it is also designed in such a way that it can be driven by almost any member of the family. Though at Rs. 45,000 the price is a little on the higher side, Suzuki Access 125cc is definitely worth it.

Great Looks


Suzuki Access 125 CC is available in five colors namely Candy Antares Red, Metallic Sonic Silver, Metallic Euclase Silver, Metallic Flint Grey and Pearl Nebular Black. One look at the scooter and you can recognize the Japanese imprint in the design. The telescopic front suspension is just perfect for the contemporary world, while aerodynamic styling add to the appeal. Even the tail lights of the scooter are quite trendy.

With chrome-plated silencer cover and suave speedometer console, Suzuki Access 125 cc just couldn’t get better. The multi-reflector headlamp of the scooter looks quite unique as well as impressive. The front forks are quite wide and Access even has shutter mechanism that will minimize the possibility of a theft. Add to this its rust-free body and excellent paint quality and the result is a stylish and very, very safe scooter!

Engineering Feats

The 125 cc engine of Suzuki Access has the maximum power of 8.58 bhp at 7000 rpm, while its maximum torque is 10 Nm at 5500 rpm. It scooter has a four stroke engine, which receives automatic transmission through CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission). It boasts of XTP (Xtra Torque and Performance). Suzuki Access 125cc has a mileage of 50-55 kmpl in the city traffic and around 65 kmpl on highways. The scooter makes use of 120 mm drum brakes, at the fore and the aft.

The front as well as the back tyre is 90/100-10. At the front, the suspension is through contemporary telescopic, while at the rear, it is through swing arm. At 1250 mm, the wheelbase of Suzuki Access is quite longer. It even has a comfortable saddle height of 780 mm. For those who love to carry around loads of things, the 20L under-seat storage space will come in handy. The scooter comes with a self start system, through the controls and gauges are conventional. So, you can choose to kick or start the scooter from a comfortable sitting position.

Want More?

One of the best features of Suzuki Access is that it has been launched with a number of accessories. Some of these are body colored grips, body colored levers front fender beading, leg shield beading, seat cover, side cowl bumper, stepney frame, spare wheel cover, mud flap front, inner mat, front box, front basket and body cover. Easily available in the market, these accessories will not only make your scooter look more stylish, but also personalize it to quite an extent. Wait no more. Buy, start and get ready to zoom!

Technical Specifications

Engine	Four Stroke, Automatic Transmission (CVT)
Displacement	125cc
Maximum Power	8.58 bhp at 7000 rpm
Maximum Torque	10 Nm at 5500 rpm
Mileage	50-55 kmpl (city traffic) 65 kmpl (highway)
Brakes	120mm drum brakes
Tyres	90/100-10
Wheelbase	1250 mm
Saddle Height	780 mm
Under-seat Storage	20 liters
Gears	Automatic
Start	Self start
Colors	Candy antares red, Metallic sonic silver, Metallic euclase silver, Metallic flint grey and Pearl nebular black

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