Bharti Airtel is planning to merge its Bangladesh operations with Malaysia-based Axiata. The move comes as part of Bharti Airtel's initiative to restructure operations in its foreign businesses.

Both companies are presently in discussions regarding the same, and the deal is likely to take a definitive form soon. The companies are also in talks with relevant regulatory authorities for the same.

The merged entity will likely be the second largest company in the country in terms of subscribers, following Telenor group’s Garmeen Phone. Bharti Airtel also has operations in Sri Lanka and 17 countries in Africa outside of its India business.