New Delhi, Nov. 16: The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has refused to clear the plans of two telecom companies, SingTel and ByCell.

In Singapore-based SingTel, the FIPB has sought information on its Indian partner for its proposed joint venture to provide long distance services and details of the no-objection certificate from Bharti Airtel, in which it holds 15.6 per cent.

The FIPB has asked the department of telecommunications (DoT) to investigate the identity of the promoters of ByCell, which is registered in Switzerland.

FIPB officials said DoT only knew that ByCell was promoted by a group of individuals based in Russia and Europe.

SingTel wants to provide national long distance (NLD) and international long distance (ILD) services in the country through a joint venture in which it will hold a 74 per cent stake.

ByCell had obtained FIPB permission last year to invest 74 per cent in a joint venture. The company has now put in a fresh application before the FIPB, to raise the amount of the investment.

“Without actual knowledge of the ownership of ByCell, the board cannot give approval to its proposal,” the FIPB officials said.

They said the proposals of the duo would be approved once the board gets the information and the companies fulfil the security criteria under Press Note 5.

The FIPB had approved ByCell’s plan to invest $100 million over the next 3-5 years in 13 states across six telecom circles — Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Northeast, Orissa and West Bengal.

In September it applied for licenses in all the remaining circles that necessitated the higher investments.

The ceiling on foreign direct investment for the telecom sector is 74 per cent, but this is subject to conditions, including security norms.

Bharti, which offers NLD and ILD services, had given its no-objection certificate to the SingTel joint venture. An FIPB official said this certificate was conditional and ambiguous.

“Further the applicant (Singtel) has not specified the details of its Indian partner in the new venture and it would not be possible to consider the proposal in the telecommunications services sector without proper firming up of the Indian partner,” the official said.

Besides its stake in Bharti Airtel, SingTel holds 32.81 per cent in Bharti Telecom Limited.