Telenor is rebranding its Indian subsidiary from Uninor to Telenor India, billing the move as a sign of its commitment to the Indian market.
Uninor has changed both its brand and company name to Telenor India, the company announced.
Telenor Group CEO Sigve Brekke said the move is about more than merely changing a brand name. “This is about preparing Telenor India for a new and exciting future,” he said.
“By taking a broader, value-driven position, Telenor India will appeal to new audiences with innovative services and a customer-first approach.”
The Uninor name was a holdover from the circumstances behind Telenor’s initial entry into the Indian market in 2009.
Local company Unitech secured a 2G license in 2008 and Telenor teamed up with the company to establish the mobile venture. At the time regulatory restrictions were in place prohibiting foreign companies from owning more than 74% of a mobile operator.
But Unitech and Telenor dissolved their partnership in 2012 following a court decision to cancel the licenses allocated to Unitech and several other operators over allegations of corruption by the telecom minister in charge at the time of the 2008 allocations.
Telenor then found a new partner in India, Lakshdeep Investments, and subsequently acquired 100% of Uninor’s operating company Telewings after the foreign ownership cap was lifted.