iWorld
Telekom Malaysia completes 49% stake purchase in Spice Telecom
BANGALORE: Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today solemnized the acquisition of the 49 per cent stake in Spice Communications Pvt. Ltd. by the exchange of ‘completion documents’.
The deputy prime minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is currently heading the trade delegation in India witnessed the exchange of documents. TM was represented by its Group CEO, Dato’ Abdul Wahid Omar while Mcorp Global was represented by Dilip Modi, president, Mcorp Global. This formal exchange marks TM’s entry into the lucrative Indian telecommunications market of India, which is the fastest growing telecommunications market in the world.
With the competition of this acquisition, TM is now the owner of a 49 per cent equity stake in Spice Telecom. TM secured this critical piece in its regional footprint, through its international investment holding company, TM International SDN BHD. The acquisition was of a total consideration of USD 178.85 million. The remaining 51 per cent equity remains with the existing shareholders Mcorp Global Ltd. and its associates, Mcorp.
Opined Dilip Modi, “Today, both countries are at the forefront of the revolution in Information, Communication and Entertainment (ICE) technologies and have much to offer each other. Together, they could become a powerful force to take Asian companies to an entirely new globally competitive level. I am confident our strategic partnership with TM will create a new synergy and help us in maximizing growth in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.”
“Spice customers today join TM’s global mobile subscriber base of over 20 million. Apart from TM’s operational and management experience both in Malaysia and key Asian regional markets, Spice customers stand to benefit from, through the creation and innovation of new products and services, sharing of technological experience and implementation, and the leveraging of group synergies such as in global procurement,” Modi further added.
Dato Abdul Wahid Omar described organic growth as the key approach for creating shareholder value in Spice, “TM and its partner, Mcorp will seek to grow Spice to be a market leader in the geographies it operates in.”
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
