India's Videocon bids for 3G airwaves; eyes overseas partners

MUMBAI, March 19 (Reuters) - Videocon Industries Ltd (VEDI.BO) has placed a bid for third-generation (3G) mobile spectrum in India, coming up in April for auction, a top official said on Friday.

"We have already placed a bid for 3G spectrum, except Mumbai and Delhi...," Chairman Venugopal N Dhoot told Reuters over the phone.

The company, which already has second-generation (2G) radio wave licences, is also looking at roping in foreign partners for its 3G fray, he said.

The firm is in talks with European and U.S. companies for partnering its 3G operations in the country. Dhoot, however, declined to name the companies.

It intends to roll out the services through Videocon Industries. Telecoms firms including Bharti Airtel (BRTI.BO), Vodafone (VOD.L) and Etisalat DB India Telecom, a unit of UAE-based Emirates Telecommunication Corporation ETEL.AD will vye for third-generation (3G), as they clamour for capacity for new services. [ID:nSGE62I028] At 10.39 a.m., shares of Videocon Industries were up 0.37 at 228.6 rupees a shares in a firm Mumbai market. (Reporting by Rajesh Kurup and Nandita Bose; Editing by Ramya Venugopal)