Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merge to create India’s largest telco

The merger between Idea Cellular and Vodafone India has finally been completed, and has led to the creation of India’s largest telecom operator – Vodafone Idea Limited. The entity will have the largest voice network with over 200,000 unique GSM sites and 235,000 km of fibre. The broadband network (3G + 4G) will comprise more than 340,000 broadband sites which will cover around 840 million people. In terms of financials, the merger is expected to generate a sum of Rs 140 billion annually. This sum includes annual operating expenses of Rs 84 billion.