The merged business with more than 190 million customers will overtake Idea Cellular in terms of subscription numbers but will still lag in terms of revenue. Last year, R-Com had merged the wireless business of Shyam Teleservices (SSTL) under the MTS brand into the company in an all-stock deal. Sources added that the revenue share of the merged entity at 13-14 per cent will pose a strong challenge to Idea Cellular, which has a 17 per cent market share. Deal details Under the plan, R-Com's wireless business will be demerged into Aircel's unlisted firm. The deal will help cut Reliance Communication's debt by Rs 20,000 crore ($3 billion), or more than 40 per cent of its total debt, while Aircel's debt will fall by about Rs 4,000 crore ($600 million).

Source: The Telegraph September 14, 2016 20:43 UTC