MUMBAI, INDIA: State-run mobile operator BSNL on Monday cut charges on calls made outside a user's local coverage area, saying it was joining an ongoing tariff war in the world's fastest-growing wireless market.

BSNL, which is India's No. 2 telecoms firm including fixed-line subscribers, will let users choose roaming charges of either 49 paise per minute or 1 paisa per second.

The fourth-ranked Indian mobile operator said its move opened "a new front in the ongoing price war that has impacted the profitability of the country's telcos".

"This is an attempt to join the price war scenario currently prevailing in the industry," the company said in a statement.

Indian mobile operators such as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications are locked in an intense tariff war that has raised concerns about profitability.

The price war is aimed at grabbing new users as new firms enter the market.

Norway's Telenor launched services on Thursday, becoming the 12th operator in India. Etisalat, the Arab world's second-biggest carrier, is among players planning to enter the market.