Bharti Global's Strategic Move in the Telecom Sector

The UK government has given its green light to Bharti Global's acquisition of a significant 24.5% stake in BT, the London-listed telecom giant. This move follows a thorough national security assessment and commitments made by BT.

The shares, valued at £3.2 billion, were purchased from the former top investor, Patrick Drahi's Altice, as per the terms outlined by Bharti Global, the investment arm of Sunil Mittal's Bharti Enterprises, in August. BT is set to establish a national security committee within the company to manage 'strategic work that it performs which has an impact on or is in respect of the national security' of the UK, according to a government statement.

The proposed measure is aimed at mitigating the risk to national security, considering BT's crucial role in supporting state initiatives in the telecommunications sector and ensuring the country's cyber security. BT also serves as a strategic supplier of services to various parts of the government, including services supporting UK national security.

In August, Bharti had stated it had no intention of making an offer to buy the entire company. Earlier, Mittal, the founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, had expressed the group's recognition of the enormous potential through the BT investment.