Bharti mulls ‘mega restructuring’

India’s Bharti Airtel is considering restructuring its business to combine its Indian and African arms into a single entity, the Economic Times reports. Plans for the ‘mega restructuring’ have not yet been finalised, but are expected to be discussed further early next year. The paper cites ‘Bharti insiders and consultants’ as saying that the move is part of a ‘larger game plan that will see Airtel’s transformation from a voice-led business model to one that is oriented towards data and lifestyle offerings.’ In the short term, the move is expected to create synergies and cut costs. As noted by TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Bharti’s African units include wireless operators in 17 countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.