Kolkata: AirTel has earmarked an investment of Rs150-200 crore for its cellular rollout in the Orissa and Bihar telecom circles. The Bihar telecom circle has within its purview the state of Jharkhand as well.

Speaking to reporters while on a visit to the city to inaugurate ''India''s first mobile technology experience center'' here today, the joint managing director of Bharti Tele-Ventures, Rajan Bharti Mittal, said that the company''s cellular rollout in these two telecom circles would take off within the next few months. The company''s cellular operations in the Assam telecom circle, too, would take off in the current financial year.

The company had initiated market surveys in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshwadeep, where it proposes to launch cellular operations. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is part of the West Bengal telecom circle, which comprises the whole of West Bengal excluding Kolkata and the state of Sikkim.