Vodafone Idea Ltd. plans to raise as much as 250 billion rupees via a rights offering to help India\u2019s largest mobile-phone carrier fend off Asia\u2019s richest man, who continues to roil the industry by providing 4G Internet at prices that would drive most carriers bankrupt in other countries.<\/p>\n
Vodafone Group Plc will contribute as much as 110 billion rupees, while Aditya Birla Group will pump in as much as 72.5 billion rupees, according to a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The plan underscores how Indian carriers have yet to figure out how to compete against billionaire Mukesh Ambani\u2019s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., which offers packages with enough data to watch 46 hours of YouTube videos for about $2 a month. Vodafone Idea itself was formed last year after a couple of the industry\u2019s biggest players merged to create an operator big enough to withstand Jio\u2019s low prices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect the rights issue to get priced at a discount, given hyper competitiveness in the segment,\u201d said Rohan Dhamija, head of South Asia and Middle East at consulting firm Analysys Mason. \u201cVodafone Idea will use the funds to make network investments in 4G and for warding off competition from Reliance Jio.\u201d<\/p>\n
Separately, Vodafone Idea is also planning to sell its 11.5 percent stake in Indus Towers Ltd., a cell-phone tower company it jointly owns with Bharti Infratel Ltd and Aditya Birla Telecom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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