Vodafone Group CEO Vittorio Colao (R) speaks as the chairman of India's Aditya Birla Group Kumar Mangalam Birla watches during a news conference in Mumbai on March 20, 2017. British mobile phone giant Vodafone's Indian unit will merge with Idea Cellular to create India's largest telecoms operator, the firms said Monday, as they combine to fight the rise of Reliance Jio. / AFP PHOTO / PUNIT PARANJPE
MUMBAI: British mobile phone giant Vodafone will merge its Indian unit with Idea Cellular to create the country’s largest telecoms operator, the firms said Monday, as they combine to fight a price war sparked by the country’s richest man.
The confirmation ended months of speculation that the two operators were ready to sign a deal to help fend off the Mukesh Ambani-backed Reliance Jio, whose recent arrival has shaken up India’s ultra-competitive mobile network market.
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