DoCoMo eyes further investments in Asian carriers

TOKYO, July 9 (Reuters) - Japan's NTT DoCoMo Inc (9437.T) said it is in talks with some Asian mobile carriers for possible capital investment as it aims to seek growth overseas to counter maturing cellphone market at home.

DoCoMo's recent overseas investments include a 26 percent stake in Tata Teleservices [TATASL.UL], India's sixth-largest mobile operator, a 30 percent stake in Bangladesh telecom operator Axiata (AXIA.KL) and a 16.5 percent stake in Malaysian operator U-Mobile. "Our main target is Asia, and there are some other

(promising) countries there. We are in contact (with carriers in those countries," NTT DoCoMo Chief Executive Ryuji Yamada told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

He did not elaborate. Yamada also said he has not given up offering Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhone to its subscribers.

In Japan, Softbank Corp (9984.T) is the only carrier that offers the popular handsets at the moment.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka)

((kiyoshi.takenaka@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 6441 1810; Reuters Messaging: kiyoshi.takenaka.reuters.com@reuters.net))

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