Corporate India is emerging as a force to be reckoned with. The country’s largest conglomerates have gone after acquisitions in the US, UK and Europe for several years in their quest for a greater role in global business. However, this month’s exploratory talks between telecommunications companies MTN in South Africa and Bharti Airtel in India, brings a dynamic of co-operation between the two continents.

The combination would create a company with a market value of almost $80bn (€50.7bn), 130 million subscribers, and a reach from south Asia to Africa and the Middle East.