"We expect Bharti Airtel's operating performance to weaken because of competitive data tariffs and free voice calls," the agency said. The agency also said its credit rating on Bharti Airtel is unaffected by higher competition with the launch of Reliance Jio. "Based on our forecasts, we consider Bharti Airtel has financial headroom to withstand weaker operating performance from intensifying competition. "Moreover, Bharti Airtel has first-mover advantage in 4G technology, having launched the services in many parts of the country over the past 1-2 years. In comparison, Reliance Jio has just launched commercial services and has about 1.5-2 million customers," S&P said.

Source: dna September 05, 2016 16:30 UTC