India is no more a preferred investment destination for global telecom operators looking to expand to new markets as the regulatory environment here is uncertain, industry body GSM Association said. "You do see foreign acquisitions and investments in mobile. It is changing and clearly it is not focused on India now, while it was very much focused on India in the past," GSMA D-G Anne Bouverot said. She said despite global economic slowdown, around five telecom operators and even some companies operating in India, are looking to invest and expand their business to new countries. India, however, will have to wait till investor faith in the country is restored, she added.
"There are some opportunities and operators are looking at them. Burma is a very clear example. It is attracting lots of interest. There are a number of players, some of them in India, who are willing to invest there," she said.
Explaining the reasons, Bouverot said: "It is economic as well regulatory. But they both have happened at the same time. It is the time when overall operators are saying we need to be careful about our finances and at the same time regulations have become more onerous. It (regulations) has been more taxing on operators and also less predictable."
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