Leading GSM service provider Hutch would roll out its services in West Bengal and Sikkim by the end of the current year, Sandip Das, executive director, Hutchison Essar, said in Kapurthala on Thursday.
The company had acquired the licence to start operations in the two states in March, Das told reporters, adding it would invest around Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) to start operations in West Bengal.
With the addition of West Bengal and Sikkim, Hutch's presence in the country would span across 13 circles in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (E), Uttar Pradesh (W) and Punjab.
Asked whether the company was also looking at expansion in the remaining 10 circles of the country, Das said the strategy was to build the business in small steps and that Hutchison was also keen to take the acquisition route for growth.
The company had an investment plan pegged at around Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 billion) for strengthening the national cellular infrastructure, IT backbone, customer service and other value-added services, Das said.
He, however, evaded queries on whether the company was planning to go for an initial public offer.