Orange Business Services today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Tata Communications to expand its network footprint in India.

The Network-to-Network Interconnect (NNI) agreement is part of a strategic partnership between the two companies and will increase Orange domestic coverage ten-fold to over 120 cities to meet customer demand.

Conor Carroll, senior vice president Europe, Asia and the Americas, Tata Communications said, ''As India continues to make waves as an emerging market powerhouse, there continues to be rapid expansion of international business into India. These companies require a strong network provider which is critical for these ambitions.

This strategic partnership is underpinned by our extensive global network, including the first wholly-owned fibre ring around the world. It interconnects Orange Business Services with our domestic network in India, enabling them to serve international and domestic enterprises with our best-in-class network services.''

Shares of the company declined Rs 12.15, or 2.69%, to trade at Rs 439. The total volume of shares traded was 54,205 at the BSE (12.09 p.m., Wednesday).