Law firms

Samvad Partners has promoted counsel Aparna Ravi in Bangalore and Khyati Sanghvi in Mumbai to partner, increasing its partnership strength to 14.

Sunil Mittal-led mobile infrastructure major Bharti Infratel has announced the merger with Indus Towers to create a combined entity with an equity value of Rs 96,500 crores ($14.6bn), making it the world’s second largest telecom tower company after Beijing-owned China Tower, with more than 163,000 towers and having presence in all the 22 circles in India, reported Business Standard and Mint.

Wadia Ghandy partner Kunal Vajani, who has been heading its Delhi office, has started up an independent chambers to focus purely on disputes, with an eye to build a UK-style barristers chambers practice.

Khaitan & Co Bangalore partner Nalina Mayegowda, who had left in late March, and Tatva Legal partners Raghunath Ananthapur, R Vasudev, and Raghavi BS have together set up new Bangalore-based firm Magnah Law Partners, reported Bar & Bench.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (SAM) long-time partner Akila Agrawal has resigned from the firm, according to authoritative sources.

Online payment and e-commerce platform, Paytm has made a strategic investment in the resultant joint entity of hyper local deals discovery platforms Nearbuy and Little Internet by infusing fresh funds of over Rs 162 crores ($25m) and acquiring a majority stake of 51%, reported The Economic Times and Mint. The merged entity expected to be valued over $100m and hold a market share of 88%, is said to have been arranged by Paytm as a strategic move to provide their merchant partners an opportunity to offer deals to acquire new customers and grow their business.

K Law will be losing five of its partners in Mumbai, and one partner each in Delhi and Bangalore.