In an unfortunate turn of events, what seems to be curtains for MTN's Indian adventure with the collapse of talks with Anil Ambani-led RCOM after a similar fate of negotiations with Bharti Airtel, the South African company might now open doors to other alternative offers, reports said. "We tried Indians and it did not work... So we will look at other channels and there will be people looking at MTN as well," UK daily Financial Times quoted a senior MTN executive as saying.

Another report in South African financial daily 'Business Day' said that MTN's failed bids may "open door to alternative offers. MTN's Indian adventure is now over and it's been a pretty bruising affair... MTN was extremely unlucky that things panned out the way they did...," it said, adding thereafter talks turned sour with RCOM also.

However, the Business Day report noted that MTN "clearly has good prospects on its own. But it is also now a target. Having placed itself on the international stage, it will find alternative offers difficult to deflect. "It may be that deal-making involving MTN has not in fact ended but just begun," the Business Day report said. "The sad truth is that the image of Indian business practice and deal-making has taken a big hit. MTN also did not come out unscathed. Clearly, its due diligence in both negotiations was extremely lacking, otherwise it might have thought harder before entering discussions with either group," it noted.