Telecom needs ‘long overdue support’ to keep 3+1 structure: Sunil Mittal

Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Mittal has expressed hope that the government and regulators will step in to ensure that the sector remains a viable place for continued investments, and asserted that industry requires “long overdue” support to maintain its current 3+1 structure.

Mittal said that as the sector’s role in the economy becomes more pervasive, its challenges loom larger.

Issues such as unsustainable pricing and low returns in a highly capital-intensive environment, coupled with legacy legal issues, “have extracted their toll”, Mittal said in Airtel’s annual report for 2020-21.

“The industry requires long overdue support to maintain its current 3+1 industry structure and allow players to earn a respectable return on their investments,” Mittal said.