NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Reliance Communications Ltd (RLCM.NS: Quote, Profile, Research) reported a smaller than expected 8.7 percent fall in quarterly profit as one-off gains helped to offset the impact of a heavy debt load at the country’s third-biggest mobile carrier by customers.

Reliance Communications, with net debt of $7.2 billion as of end-March, or more than five times its annual operating profit, is the most-leveraged among listed Indian carriers.

NEW DELHI, May 10 (Reuters) – India’s Reliance
Communications Ltd reported a smaller than expected
8.7 percent fall in quarterly profit as one-off gains helped to
offset the impact of a heavy debt load at the country’s
third-biggest mobile carrier by customers.

Reliance Communications, with net debt of $7.2 billion as of
end-March, or more than five times its annual operating profit,
is the most-leveraged among listed Indian carriers.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Nokia is betting low-priced phones with Internet capability will help it regain lost ground in crucial emerging markets after falling behind in the global smartphone race.

On Thursday, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop unveiled a new $99 phone in its mid-range Asha line at a launch in India, one of the most important markets in his bid to revive the struggling Finnish firm.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Reliance Communications(RLCM.NS: Quote, Profile, Research), India’s third-biggest mobile phone carrier by customers, has raised some voice call prices and further cut discounts, extending price increases in the world’s second-biggest mobile phone market.

Until recently, operators in India’s fiercely competitive market have offered steep discounts to win customers, often sacrificing margins, but rising airwave costs and heavy debts have forced carriers to end that strategy.

NEW DELHI, May 6 (Reuters) – Reliance Communications Ltd
, India’s third-biggest mobile phone carrier by
customers, has raised some voice call prices and further cut
discounts, extending price increases in the world’s
second-biggest mobile phone market.

Until recently, operators in India’s fiercely competitive
market have offered steep discounts to win customers, often
sacrificing margins, but rising airwave costs and heavy debts
have forced carriers to end that strategy.

NEW DELHI/DUBAI (Reuters) – Gulf state Qatar has bought a 5 percent stake in Indian telecoms firm Bharti Airtel Ltd (BRTI.NS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for $1.26 billion, the firm said on Friday, extending an overseas buying spree from mainly developed countries to Asia’s third-largest economy.

The deal is being channeled through Qatar Foundation Endowment and a source close to QFE said it would be an active investor in Bharti Airtel, securing a board seat at the world’s fourth-biggest mobile phone company by customers.

NEW DELHI/DUBAI (Reuters) – Gulf state Qatar has bought a 5 percent stake in telecoms firm Bharti Airtel Ltd(BRTI.NS: Quote, Profile, Research) for $1.26 billion, the firm said on Friday, extending an overseas buying spree from mainly developed countries to Asia’s third-largest economy.

The deal is being channelled through Qatar Foundation Endowment and a source close to QFE said it would be an active investor in Bharti Airtel, securing a board seat at the world’s fourth-biggest mobile phone company by customers.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Bharti Airtel Ltd(BRTI.NS: Quote, Profile, Research) reported a 50 percent fall in quarterly profit that capped the third straight year of declining earnings at India’s top telecommunications carrier.

Bharti Airtel, the world’s fourth-biggest cellular carrier by customers, said net profit fell to 5.09 billion rupees for its fiscal fourth quarter to end-March, from 10.06 billion rupees reported a year earlier.

NEW DELHI, May 2 (Reuters) – Bharti Airtel Ltd
reported a 50 percent fall in quarterly profit that capped the
third straight year of declining earnings at India’s top
telecommunications carrier.

Bharti Airtel, the world’s fourth-biggest cellular carrier
by customers, said net profit fell to 5.09 billion rupees ($94
million) for its fiscal fourth quarter to end-March, from 10.06
billion rupees reported a year earlier.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Angry crowds demonstrated in the capital on Saturday after a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped, tortured and kept in captivity for 40 hours, reviving memories of last December’s brutal assault on a woman that shook the country.

Police arrested a man they accuse of the attack from Bihar, and brought him back to New Delhi for interrogation. Doctors say the girl suffered severe injuries and bruising, including to her neck and genitalia.