Hello Africa, India is Calling

Millions of mobile phone subscribers in Africa saw the icon on their phone screens change from Kuwaiti company Zain to Indian company Bharti Airtel last year.

The change means little to the average customer, but for the continent, it's another sign that India is moving in.

The expansion by Bharti Airtel into 16 African countries underscores the rise of India in Africa, at a time when much of the focus on foreign investment here has been on China.

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India and China are vying for Africa because of the bottom line: Africa represents new growth.

"This is the last growth continent in the world. Europe is a done industry. The US is a done industry. Southeast Asia is old," said Sunil Mittal, founder and chairperson of Bharti Airtel. "Our model is not suitable for a matured market. We need growth and Africa is the right place to grow."

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