Amazon Said to Be in Talks to Buy $2-Billion Stake in Bharti Airtel

Amazon is in early-stage talks to buy a stake worth at least $2 billion (roughly Rs. 15,109 crores) in mobile operator Bharti Airtel, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, underscoring the growing attraction of India's digital economy for US tech giants.

The planned investment, if completed, would mean Amazon acquiring a roughly 5 percent stake based on the current market value of Bharti, which is India's third-largest telecoms company with more than 300 million subscribers.

The discussions between Amazon and Bharti Airtel come at a time when global players are placing major bets on the digital arm of Reliance Industries, which owns Bharti's telecom rival Jio.