RPT-UPDATE 1-Bharti not seeking new buys, sees local shake up

(Repeats story issued on Sunday)

* Chairman says hopes to start lookout for buys soon

* Says price war will force consolidation (Adds quotes, details)

By Devidutta Tripathy

NEW DELHI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Bharti Airtel (BRTI.BO: Quote, Profile, Research), India's top mobile operator, is not actively seeking acquisitions, after its $23 billion planned tie-up talks with South Africa's MTN collapsed, the Indian firm's Chairman Sunil Mittal said on Sunday.

With political rather than commercial factors seen as the deal-killer with MTN (MTNJ.J: Quote, Profile, Research), analysts have said Bharti could look at Kuwait's Zain (ZAIN.KW: Quote, Profile, Research), Sweden's Millicom (MICC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Egypt's Orascom (ORTE.CA: Quote, Profile, Research).

"Hopefully sometime soon," Mittal told reporters at the Word Economic Forum, replying to a question whether the company was actively looking at new buys.

"We are taking a break," he said.

Bharti Airtel director Akhil Gupta said last week the company would look at buying a stake in Zain if there was an opportunity, but there was nothing on the horizon.