Malaysia's Maxis Communications set to lose $7b in Aircel bankruptcy

Malaysia's Maxis Communications set to lose $7b in Aircel bankruptcy

T. Ananda Krishnan owns 45% of Maxis Communications. Photographer: Matthew Staver/Bloomberg

Malaysian tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan’s company is poised to lose a total of about $7 billion from a failed 12-year foray in the Indian wireless market, marking his biggest-ever hit on a soured investment, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Krishnan-backed mobile carrier Aircel Ltd. filed to start insolvency proceedings in India, the company said Wednesday, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report the move was imminent. Maxis Communications Bhd., a holding company for some of Krishnan’s telecom ventures, has made about $3.4 billion of shareholder advances to Aircel that it now won’t be able to recoup, according to one of the people.

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