S Tel Private Limited (S Tel), a new telecom operator in the lndian marketplace, is a joint venture between Siva Group (formerly Sterling Infotech Group) and Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco).

S Tel has acquired Unified Access Services Licenses (UASL) and spectrum to operate in six Category C circles – Orissa, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, North East, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir. These licenses will enable the company to provide Unified Mobile service, wireless broadband and innovative Value Added Services (VAS) covering a population of over 226 million across these circles.

Headquartered in NCR region of Delhi, the company plans to launch its mobile telephony service in India before close of 2009. Siva Group is a USD 3 billion group (about Rs.14,000 crores), with diversified business interests in verticals such as wind energy, shipping & logistics, hospitality & realty, media, EPC, education and agro business.

Bahrain headquartered Batelco is a diversified, integrated telecommunications operator with Mobile, fixed and wireless broadband, Datacom and fixed line services. It has operations in 7 markets across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.