Bharti Enterprises has announced that its overseas subsidiary, Bharti Global, will acquire a 24.5% stake in British telecommunications giant BT Group Plc. for an estimated $4 billion. The shares will be purchased from Altice UK, a company founded by French telecom tycoon Patrick Drahi.
The deal will make Bharti the largest shareholder in BT Group, with the acquisition being made through Bharti Televentures UK Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharti Global. The company will initially acquire a 9.99% stake, with the remaining 14.51% to be acquired following regulatory clearances.
The investment is expected to create new synergies in the telecom sector between India and the UK, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, 5G, R&D, and core engineering. BT Group CEO Allison Kirkby welcomed the investment, stating that it is a “great vote of confidence” in the company’s strategy.
The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Bharti Group’s history, with Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal noting that the company has an “enduring relationship” with BT Group dating back over two decades. Bharti Global has several major investments in Britain, including OneWeb, a space communications company that merged with Eutelsat in 2023.
