President Rodrigo Duterte said India has expressed interest to be the third telecommunication player in the Philippines.

"India is also interested to enter into the telecom industry. And we are considering… I invited them during my talks with the businessmen of India during my official visit," Duterte said in a speech during the induction of the new board of directors of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce in Malacanang.

Duterte went to New Delhi in November to join the other Southeast Asian leaders in the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit as well as India’s Republic Day celebration.

During the trip he met with Indian businessmen and invited them to invest in the Philippines.

In November last year, Duterte also offered China to be the third telco player in the country to break the duopoly of Globe Telecom and PLDT.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology has said that other foreign firms from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have also expressed intention to invest in the country's telco industry. Celerina Monte/DMS