Business
Airtel in talks with Tata Group for merger of DTH business

New Delhi, Feb 26: Telecom major Bharti Airtel Ltd. on Wednesday said that it is holding bilateral discussions with the Tata Group for a potential merger between Tata Play’s Direct To Home business and its subsidiary Bharti Telemedia.
The statement to the stock exchanges came in response to a media report stating the Tata and Bharti Groups are “near a mega DTH merger”.
“We wish to submit that Bharti Airtel Limited (‘Airtel’) and Tata Group are in bilateral discussions to explore a potential transaction to achieve a combination of Tata Group’s Direct To Home (‘DTH’) business housed under Tata Play Limited, with Bharti Telemedia Limited, a subsidiary of Airtel, in a structure acceptable to all parties,” Airtel said in the statement to the exchanges.
However, Airtel emphasised that “the above is at a discussion stage only”.
The media report cited sources as saying the merged entity is expected to be run by Bharti Airtel, which will likely hold between 52-55 per cent with the remaining held by Tata Play shareholders, including Walt Disney.
Tata Play, a 70:30 venture between Tata Sons and Disney, and Airtel had a combined 35 million paid subscribers as of last September, more than half the 60 million subscribers industry-wide at the time, official data showed.
The two businesses are being approximately valued between Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 7,000 crore each, according to the media report.
In a separate development, Airtel has announced its collaboration with Ericsson to roll out 5G Standalone (SA) network technology. This partnership aims to enhance Airtel’s network capabilities, ensuring a seamless transition to a full-scale commercial 5G SA network over time.
Ericsson will be supplying key 5G equipment to telecom operator Bharti Airtel for a seamless transition to a commercially live, full-scale 5G Standalone (SA) network over time.
“Ericsson’s enduring partnership with Airtel has entered an exciting new phase, marked by the deployment of Ericsson’s 5G core solutions to support Airtel’s transition to 5G Standalone. This rollout will play a pivotal role in Airtel’s long-term 5G strategy, boosting network capacity and enabling the delivery of innovative, differentiated services to customers,” Airtel’s Chief Technology Officer Randeep Sekhon said.
The new capabilities represent a strategic enhancement to Bharti Airtel’s 5G monetisation efforts, enabling the development of new business models, Ericsson said.
In the SA mode, the network is built only on 5G, whereas in the NSA mode, the 5G network operates as a top-up on an existing layer of the 4G and 3G radio network.
As part of the agreement, Ericsson will deploy its signalling controller solution within Airtel’s network. Ericsson’s 5G SA-enabled charging and policy solution will also be introduced. These new capabilities represent a strategic enhancement to Bharti Airtel’s 5G monetisation efforts, enabling the development of new business models.
Business
Sensex, Nifty extend gains on buying in heavyweights

Mumbai, Oct 7: Indian stock markets continued their upward trend on Tuesday, supported by buying in major stocks such as ICICI Bank, ITC and more.
However, profit booking in select banking stocks limited the overall gains during the early trading hours.
The Sensex, which rose more than 100 points in early trade, was trading at 81,843, up 52 points or 0.06 per cent.
The Nifty also gained 34 points or 0.14 per cent to reach 25,112 after hitting an intra-day high of 25,140.
Among the top gainers on the Sensex were Power Grid, Bajaj Finance, HCL Tech, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Ultratech Cement, NTPC, Hindustan Unilever, Bajaj Finserv, and BEL, which rose between 0.3 per cent and 1.6 per cent.
On the other hand, Trent, Axis Bank, Tata Motors, TCS, SBI, Kotak Bank, Tech Mahindra, HDFC Bank, and Infosys were among the major losers, slipping up to 2.7 per cent.
In the broader market, the Nifty MidCap index gained 0.08 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index rose 0.41 per cent — showing continued interest from investors in smaller companies.
Among sectoral indices, Nifty Metal and Nifty IT were the top performers, each gaining 0.4 per cent.
The Nifty PSU Bank index was the worst hit, falling 0.3 per cent due to profit booking in public sector lenders.
Analysts said that overall market sentiment remains positive, though some volatility may persist due to profit-taking at higher levels.
“The ongoing mild rally in the market has the potential to gain momentum. The FII selling in India is slowly declining since the sharp appreciation in other markets has pushed up their valuations and the valuation differential between India and other markets has come down,” analysts said.
“Since there is huge short position in the market any positive news can trigger short-covering, further aiding the rally,” they added.
Business
PM Modi to inaugurate India Mobile Congress 2025 on October 8

New Delhi, Oct 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, Asia’s premier telecom and technology event, on October 8 in the national capital, Ministry of Communications said on Monday.
The four-day mega event, themed “Innovate to Transform,” will run till October 11 and is expected to showcase India’s growing leadership in the global digital and telecom space.
Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya M. Scindia visited the IMC 2025 venue to review the final preparations ahead of the Prime Minister’s inauguration.
Scindia also travelled to the venue and back via the Airport Metro, symbolising India’s push for modern and sustainable urban transport.
During his visit, the minister toured the exhibition area, interacted with participating startups and exhibitors, and chaired review meetings with senior officials from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), and other partner agencies.
Speaking to the media, Scindia said that IMC 2025 would mark a new era in global connectivity, where technologies like 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), the Internet of Things (IoT), and satellite communications would come together to shape the future.
He emphasised that the event reflects Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a self-reliant and innovative India that connects not only within but also with the world.
IMC 2025 is expected to attract more than 1.5 lakh visitors, 7,000 delegates from over 150 countries, and 400 exhibitors spread across 4.5 lakh square feet.
The event will also feature over 1,600 technology demonstrations and 100 sessions with more than 800 speakers discussing the latest developments in telecom and digital innovation.
Highlighting the scale of the event, Scindia said that IMC has grown from being a national platform to becoming a global technology congress that represents India’s digital leadership.
He added that the 2025 edition will include six major global summits — covering 6G research, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, satellite communications, startups, and the Global Startup World Cup — India Edition.
The minister also underlined India’s achievements in the telecom sector, noting that the country now ranks among the world’s top three digital economies with 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, 970 million internet users, and the fastest-ever 5G rollout completed in just 22 months.
Business
Sensex rises 583 points, Nifty tops 25,000 as IT and banking stocks lead rally

Mumbai, Oct 6: The Indian stock markets continued their winning streak for the third straight session on Monday, driven by strong buying in the IT and banking shares.
The benchmark Sensex jumped 582.95 points, or 0.72 per cent, to close at 81,790.12, while the Nifty rose 183.4 points, or 0.74 per cent, to end the day at 25,077.
“From a technical perspective, Nifty has successfully broken above the key psychological and technical resistance level of 25,000, turning the structure decisively positive,” analysts said.
“Any dip toward the 25,000 zone is expected to act as a strong support level, with immediate resistance seen at 25,200 and 25,500,” they added.
The Bank Nifty also delivered a stellar performance, opening with a gap-up and maintaining its upward trajectory through the session.
The index surged past 56,100, hitting an intra-day high of 56,164, with next resistance levels seen at 56,300–56,500, and support placed around 55,821–55,500, experts stated.
Broader markets also joined the rally, with the Nifty Midcap 100 gaining 0.89 per cent and the Nifty Smallcap 100 inching up 0.28 per cent.
In the Sensex pack, TCS, Tech Mahindra, Eternal, Axis Bank, and Bajaj Finance were the top performers, climbing as much as 3 per cent.
Meanwhile, Trent, Tata Steel, Power Grid, and Titan ended the session with losses. Among sectors, IT stocks led the gains as the Nifty IT index surged 2.28 per cent.
The Nifty Private Bank, Financial Services, and Healthcare indices also closed in positive territory.
On the other hand, Metal, FMCG, and Media shares came under pressure, slipping up to 1 per cent.
Market experts said the upbeat sentiment in IT stocks and strong institutional buying supported the overall market momentum.
“The domestic equity market ended the session on a positive note, led by gains in the financial services and IT sectors, ahead of the Q2 results,” they said.
“The banking index outperformed, bolstered by strong quarterly updates announced by large scheduled banks and attractive valuations, while hospital stocks surged following the revision of CGHS rates,” market experts added.
-
Crime3 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra12 months ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News12 months ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime12 months ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report