Ambitious emerging markets ISP New Call Telecom reportedly plans to acquire up to four new companies in the “software and infrastructure segments” to support its OTT and app strategy in India.
The company, headquartered in London, said it could invest around $300 million on new acquisitions in the next six to 12 months in India, building on last year’s deals to acquire messaging app Nimbuzz and Delhi-based WiFi company Ozone Networks, which is now going through the last stages of regulatory approval.
In an interview with the Economic Times of India, New Call CEO Nigel Eastwood said the company was in talks with “eight or nine companies and would “end up acquiring three or four”, with plans to make “announcements about two of them very shortly”.
Eastwood said these particular acquisitions will be aligned to the company’s app strategy.
“Almost all of them are India-based companies,” he said. “But one of the companies that we are talking to will be an interesting play coming to India. What we are looking to do is acquire complimentary assets.”
New Call was first established in 2010, and has a sizeable presence in India with offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
After securing Nimbuzz and Ozone, the company was also looking at establishing a fixed-line presence in the country and held talks with Delhi’s Nextra Teleservices, but the deal fell through.
Eastwood confirmed the company had abandoned plans in the fixed space for now, and its Indian strategy is focused on its OTT play.
It plans to consolidate its three Indian operations, including international calling service Planet Talk, in one office in Gurgaon, and will hire 100 people in the next six to 12 months.
“We are acquiring other businesses and incubating new ideas and that’s why we need people,” he added. “That’s my vision behind growing our business in India and getting behind the Digital India initiative.”
In Europe, New Call Telecom acquired global wholesale provider WaveCrest at the end of last year and also operates a residential home broadband service in the UK.
It also has a VoIP presence in the Middle East, and a large premium ad platform across South Asia.
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