UPDATE 1-India allows BSNL to buy 10 mln mobile lines gears | Reuters

The Indian government has allowed state-run telecoms firm Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to buy equipments for 10 million mobile lines immediately, the telecoms ministry said.

BSNL, India’s fourth-largest mobile operator, had in 2008 called for bids to supply equipments for 93 million lines in what was termed as the world’s biggest telecoms equipment contract. But the tender has been snarled ever since.

Sweden’s Ericsson and Chinese network-gear maker Huawei were short-listed on technical grounds for supplying part of the 93-million-line tender.