Bharti Airtel to invest Rs 734 crore in Gabon

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, world's fifth-largest mobile phone company by subscribers, said on Wednesday that it will invest $125 million (Rs 734.5 crore) in Gabon, Africa.

In a statement, the telco said its senior executives held discussions with Gabon's president Ali Bongo on the sidelines of New York Forum Africa 2013 for identifying possible areas of synergy with the 'Gabon Emergent' programme.

Manoj Kohli, managing director and chief executive officer (international), said the telco will support social and commercial programmes including deployment of 3G and 4G networks, which will help businesses and youth access world class data services, when made available.

"Airtel is committed to Gabon and will support in-youth driven activities like soccer and ICT entrepreneurship programme to provide ICT training to 10,000 youth over the next three years. We plan to develop training programmes on ICT business in collaboration with local training schools," Kohli said.

Gabon aims to have a countrywide digital infrastructure by 2016, thus enabling the development of a wide range of e-services, which will give rise to a major qualitative improvement in social services and create the foundations for Gabon. Airtel team also held discussions on investments in Congo Brazzaville with its president Sassou Nguesso.

The investment of $125 million was announced by company on the sidelines of 'The New York Forum Africa', held in Libreville, Gabon.