In a joint statement published on 28 January, the Indian telecoms group Bharti Airtel (present in 14 African countries) and the US telecoms giant Google announced a “multi-year and long-term” partnership.
The agreement, made through the $10bn Google India Digitalisation Fund and launched in July 2020, focuses on the large Asian market.
In detail, it includes a $700m investment to acquire 1.28% of Bharti Airtel and up to $300m that “will go towards implementing commercial agreements.”
Last October, Google, which has been led by Indo-American entrepreneur Sundar Pichai since 2015, said it would invest $1bn over five years “to support the continent’s digital transformation.”
Smartphones, a sector with great potential
Although the first part of the agreement with Airtel only indirectly concerns the continent, it does mark the US colossus’ symbolic entry into the shareholding of one of the
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