Russia discusses 2G licence issue with India

The Russian government on Tuesday discussed the issue of 2G licence cancellation of Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd (SSTL) by the Supreme Court with the Indian counterparts, sources said. The issue came up for discussion during the meeting of commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma and Russian minister of economic development and Trade Elvira Nabiullina on Tuesday, they said. Sistema has a joint venture with India's Shyam Group, SSTL, in which the Russian government also has a stake of 17.14 per cent. Operating in India under the MTS brand name, SSTL has a user base of over 15 million. Seeking protection of its $3.1 billion investment in India, Sistema has already filed an appeal in March in the Supreme Court.