Alcatel-Lucent bags US$1 billion managed services contract in India

Alcatel-Lucent has struck a US$1 billion managed services deal with India’s third largest operator, Reliance Communications.

The deal runs until 2020, covering Eastern and Southern India, and is the first end-to-end managed services contract in India and one of the largest in the world. It extends an existing relationship between the companies.

The French vendor will help Reliance provide “world-class, seamless voice and data communications services” to customers and improve cost effectiveness.

Alcatel-Lucent will combine the Reliance wireless and fixed teams to create a single network management group, allowing for a leaner organisation. There will also be standardisation of tools, processes and best practices with pre-defined costs reducing investment risk.

Alcatel-Lucent’s Asia-Pacific president Rajeev Singh-Molares said the deal demonstrates the company’s “renewed focus on managed services as we apply greater selectivity on more value-added contracts”.