Now, roaming service to become free in India?

India’s new telecoms policy is a mixed bag for operators. The scandal-ridden sector is crying out for consolidation. Delhi’s new policy will allow spectrum trading and, theoretically, free up M&A too. But costs will rise and takeovers are unlikely until the corruption investigations are complete. Almost everyone agrees that the sector has too many players, and that margins have been driven too low to be sustainable. There are 15 firms in India. Reliance Communication’s average revenue per user fell to $2.26 per month in the first quarter of 2011 from $7.63 in 2008