Temasek Has Option To Buy 5Pc In Bharti Airtel

Mumbai: Singapore-based Temasek Holdings has been given the option to take over 4.99 per cent in Bharti Airtel Ltd, India''s largest private telecom company. The stake, which is estimated at Rs 8,200 crore at the company''s current market capitalisation, will be sold by one of the group companies of Bharti Enterprises. Bharti earlier had an pact with Vodafone for an option to buy its 5.6 per cent stake in Bharti Airtel for $1.6 billion (Rs 6,720 crore) within 18 months. Vodafone also holds a 4.4 per cent stake in Bharti Airtel indirectly, which it retains. Bharti Enterprises maintains a controlling interest of over 45 per cent in Bharti Airtel Limited through Bharti Telecom Limited. Temasek has been eyeing for investments in India''s telecom sector and has a 9.6 per cent stake in Tata TeleServices. SingTel has a 15.6 per cent direct stake in Bharti Airtel. Bharti Airtel tops the league table of telecom companies in terms of market capitalisation with a value of Rs 1,64,407 crore.