IN BUSINESS, LIFE comes full circle more often than not. In 1997, British Telecom picked up a 21% stake in Bharti Airtel, before exiting that investment in 2001. After more than 20 years, Bharti Global, the international investment arm of Bharti Enterprises, is set to acquire a 24.5% stake from Altice UK—the leading investor in the British firm—in what is now known as BT Group for an estimated $4 billion.
In May, Altice, a telecom group founded by Patrick Drahi, raised its stake in BT Group from 18% to 24.5%. Interestingly, this development came before the company announced a restructuring plan that would result in a reduction of 55,000 jobs by the end of the current decade.
In India, Bharti Airtel, the listed entity of Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Bharti Enterprises,…
