MTN denies going back to Bharti

Mumbai: South Africa's MTN Group has refuted newspaper reports which said the company had gone back to Bharti Airtel, its former suitor, while it continued exclusive talks with Reliance Communications.

''MTN has not made any advances to Bharti. Normally we don't comment on speculation, but this time we refute this (that MTN has made fresh advances to Bharti)," Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN's spokeswoman, said.

Newspaper reports quoting sources linked to the discussions said MTN has sounded out Bharti Airtel for reviving merger talks if it fails to forge a deal with Reliance Communications.

The reports said the South African telecom firm had "sent feelers" to Bharti, but a formal approach was unlikely until after a deadline for exclusive talks with Reliance ends on July 21.

''The Indian telco was very open to take the discussions with MTN forward if such possibilities existed," the paper quoted the source as saying, referring to Bharti.

A spokesman for Bharti said the company would not comment on market speculation.

Bharti ended takeover talks with MTN in May after failing to agree on which company would control the combined entity.