No intention of a takeover; not asked for board seats: Sunil Bharti Mittal

Telecom major Bharti Enterprises’ aim to move into more developed ‘hard currency’ markets prompted its strategic stake buy in the UK’s BT group and it does not aim to seek a board position at the moment despite being the largest investor in the British telco, chairperson Sunil Bharti Mittal said on Monday during a virtual media briefing. Mittal said while Airtel has its hands full with its India plans, higher cash flows and reduced capital expenditure two to three years later may open it up to global opportunities. Edited excerpts:

On why Bharti acquired stake in BT