Reliance Communications, Sistema in talks to merge telecom biz in India

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications said on Monday it is in talks with AFK Sistema to merge the Russian conglomerate's Indian telecom operations through a cashless stock swap.

Reliance Communications (RCOM) and AFK Sistema have entered into exclusive discussions on a potential merger between the Indian telecom business of Sistema Shyam TeleServices Ltd (SSTL) and RCOM through a stock swap, the company said in a statement.

The discussions, it said, are indicative and non-binding in nature, and remain subject to due diligence, definitive documentation and approvals, as may be necessary. Also, there is no certainty that any transaction will result, the statement added.