Telecom major Bharti Airtel has called off its plans to acquire business and assets of Mumbai based Loop Mobile, for about Rs 700 crore, as the Department of Telecom is yet to clear the deal. "Loop Mobile and Bharti applied to DoT for approval of the business transfer in March 2014.

The approval for the transaction is still awaited from the relevant authorities as a result of which Bharti Airtel has withdrawn from the proposed transaction causing huge loss to the company," Loop Mobile spokesperson said.

DoT is yet to give clearance to the deal as it estimates that Loop Mobile and its sister concern Loop Telecom owe about Rs 808 crore in spectrum and other charges to the government.

Loop Mobile's permit in Mumbai is expiring on November 29 and the company did not purchase spectrum in February auction which was mandatory for continuing its operations.

Airtel had signed a deal with Loop in February this year to buy business and assets of Loop Mobile in Mumbai under a strategic agreement for about Rs 700 crore.

Under the agreement, Loop Mobile's 3 million subscribers (at that time) in Mumbai were suppose to join Airtel's over 4 million subscribers, making it largest network in the metropolitan city.