Manchester United, the British football club has signed a £10 million sponsorship deal with Airtel, India's largest mobile phone operator.

The deal would allow Airtel's 92 million subscribers to view Man Utd content on its phones along with matches and interviews.

The club said that it was keen on leveraging growing potential of doing business in India.

With US insurer no longer interested in renewing its shirt contract with the club, Manchester United is also look for a new shirt sponsor.

Following the inusurer approaching the US government for bail-out funds amounting to billions of dollors, AIG had come under pressure in the US to terminate its deal with Manchester United. 

Founded in 1985, the New Delhi-based Airtel reported annual revenues of £4 billion last year.

The telecom major has a 25 per cent stake of the Indian mobile phone market and also operates in Sri Lanka and Seychelles.

According to Manchester United chief executive David Gill the club's partnership with Airtel demonstrated the strength of the club internationally. He added that it was an exciting development as India had great commercial potential.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that interest in football in India was picking up fast after cricket.

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club formed in 1878. It club is one of the most popular football clubs in the world and is based at Old Trafford in Trafford, Greater Manchester. Since Alex Ferguson took over as manager in 1986, it has won 21 major honours.

The club is a founding member of the Premier League and since 1938 has been a regular of top division English football. It has immense fan following and average attendances at the club have consistently topped that of all other teams for all seasons since 1964-65.