A role reversal?

The seller is now being viewed as an acquirer. Till a few weeks ago, Reliance Communications was perceived as a telco looking to hive off its GSM operations. It had been in talks with several foreign players to sell its GSM operations.

But with RCL deciding to start services in Mumbai and Delhi, industry observers are confused. RCL appears to be planning a dual play, that is, provide CDMA as well as GSM services.

If Reliance is serious about its GSM plans, then it is unlikely to be happy being a marginal player in the GSM segment. And if it wants to be a leader in the GSM category, then it may have to acquire an existing player. But the moot question is: Is Reliance serious about GSM or is this just a smokescreen?