"The company has 5,000 customers in Indore and on an average 100 new connections are being added everyday. As per our projections, we should break even by the end of the third year," managing director Rajan Bharti Mittal said.

The telecom-service provider had launched its services in Bhopal on October 9 and has a booking of 2,000 lines so far.

Of the Rs 4,000-crore planned in Madhya pradesh, Rs 800 crore will be pumped in during the first three years, Mittal said, adding that the company was targeting 2.5 lakh connections in the state against its license-agreement projection of 1.5 lakh.

Increase in traffic of intra-state, long-distance calls using Bharti's own network will be a key factor in achieving the break-even target, Mittal said. Of the proposed 3,000 km long fibre-optic network across thestate, over 1,500 km has already been laid. "This will enable the company to provide long-distance call facility simultaneously with local transmission," Mittal said.

On whether the company will bid for more circles, Mittal said "We have an appetite for atleast one more circle but will like to see the rules of the game. We will decide once the parameters are clear."