India’s Bharti Airtel and South Africa’s MTN will operate as separate companies even once a proposed merger is sealed, in an attempt to ease political concerns over the deal that will create an emerging markets telecommunications powerhouse.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and founder of Bharti Airtel, said in an interview with the Financial Times that the management team of MTN would also remain unchanged until the two companies are able to implement a full merger, possibly within the next few years.