BSNL valued at $100 billion

If BSNL manages to raise Rs 40,000 crore by selling a 10% stake, it would value the company at an amazing Rs 4,00,000 crore (more than $100 billion). The market valuation of India’s largest private telecom operator — Bharti Airtel — is about $46 billion, followed by Reliance Communications which is valued at about $41 billion. Telecom stocks enjoy record valuations in India as the country, which offers the lowest cellular tariffs in the world, also boasts of the fastest-growing mobile market. India has registered average monthly adds of over 7.5 million for the last eight months even as analysts say this figure could touch the 10 million mark from Q2, 2008. From a little over 260 million telephone connections at present, it is projected that the country will have over 500 million telephone connections by 2010.