Nokia sells Vi stake, raises Rs 7.85 billion (India)
Nokia Solutions and Networks India Private Limited has sold its 0.95 per cent stake in Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi) through a bulk deal, raising Rs 7.85 billion by selling shares to marquee global investment banks, including Goldman Sachs. According to the National Stock Exchange’s bulk deal data, Nokia offloaded 1.027 billion Vi shares at Rs 7.65 per share. Goldman Sachs (Singapore) Pte was among the top purchasers, picking up shares worth Rs 4.57 billion, the data showed, amounting to approximately a 0.55 per cent stake in Vi.
Netgear acquires India’s VAAG Systems to boost software development capabilities
Netgear has acquired Chennai-based VAAG Systems to enhance its in-house software development capabilities. As part of the deal, VAAG Systems’ executive team, research and development experts and engineers will join Netgear and contribute to the company’s new Chennai-based software development centre. The new team brings experience from multinational telecom and tech firms such as Qualcomm, HP, Cisco and MaxLinear, and will focus on applying artificial intelligence (AI) for small and medium enterprises. The financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. Additionally, Netgear has projected double-digit growth in 2025 for its “Netgear for Business” division, which caters to small and medium enterprises.
Sirius Digitech acquires remaining stake in PIPL
Sirius Digitech Limited, a joint venture of Adani Global Limited, Mauritius, has acquired the remaining 22.5 per cent stake in Parserlabs India Private Limited (PIPL). The 22,500 equity shares (with a face value of Rs 1 each) were acquired at Rs 20,000 per share through a cash transaction. Previously, in July 2024, Sirius Digitech had acquired a 77.5 per cent stake in PIPL. With the latest Rs 0.45 billion investment, PIPL is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sirius Digitech. This acquisition will strengthen the Adani Group’s expansion in data centres and cloud services.
SAR Televenture acquires majority stake in Tikona Infinet
SAR Televenture Limited has acquired a majority stake in Tikona Infinet Limited through a share swap deal valued at Rs 5.78 billion. This acquisition also brings Tikona’s pan-India unified licence (ISP, Category A) and national long distance licence. Post-acquisition, SAR Televenture’s service portfolio will expand to include 4G/5G tower deployment, fibre-to-the-home solutions, optical fibre cable infrastructure, enterprise networking solutions and retail broadband services.
ESDS Software Solution files for Rs 6 billion IPO
ESDS Software Solution Limited has submitted preliminary documents to SEBI for raising Rs 6 billion through an initial public offering (IPO). The IPO will be a fresh issue, with no offer-for-sale component involved. Of the total proceeds, Rs 4.8 billion will be allocated towards acquiring and installing cloud computing equipment and developing data centre infrastructure, while the balance will be for general corporate purposes.
Globe Telecom completes tower sale and leaseback with Frontier Towers (Philippines)
Globe Telecom has finalised its tower sale and leaseback transaction with Frontier Towers for PhP 13.17 billion, concluding the overall deal for 6,628 towers at total proceeds of PhP 85.2 billion. The telco has been divesting its tower portfolios to Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, Unity Digital Infrastructure, Phil-Tower Consortium and MIESCOR Infrastructure Development, in a bid to monetise passive assets and reduce debt.
NCS expands APAC footprint through joint venture with Globe Telecom
NCS, the technology services division of Singtel, is extending its reach across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region through a partnership with Globe Telecom. On March 27, 2025, NCS announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, NCSI Holdings, had acquired a majority stake (51 per cent) in Globe’s IT unit Yondu for a net consideration of PhP 134 million ($3 million), after deducting the PhP 818 million Yondu used to purchase NCSI Philippines. The move is set to provide clients with enhanced digital, cloud, data and AI solutions.
Actis-led consortium finalises acquisition of Swiftnet (South Africa)
A consortium led by Actis has concluded the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in Swiftnet, a telecom tower portfolio in South Africa. Valued at roughly $370 million (ZAR 6.75 billion), the deal was completed with investment participation from international and local partners, including the Mineworkers Investment Company, which is a 100 per cent black-owned broad-based holding firm. The consortium now holds a 70 per cent stake, while Royal Bafokeng Holdings owns the remaining
30 per cent.
XL Axiata, Smartfren merger approved to create Indonesia’s third largest telco (Indonesia)
XL Axiata, Smartfren Telecom and Smart Telcom have gained shareholder approval for a merger that will form Indonesia’s third largest telecommunications operator by subscriber base. According to the plan, XL Axiata will acquire Smartfren and subsidiary SmartTel by issuing 5.07 billion new shares at IDR 2,350 (approximately RM 0.66) per share, bringing the total value of the transaction to IDR 11.917 trillion (about RM 3.33 billion).
