6-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM 6-K

                        REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

                      PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, 2005

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 333-13944

                        MAHANAGAR TELEPHONE NIGAM LIMITED
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

                       12th Floor, Jeevan Bharati Tower-1
                              124 Connaught Circus
                                New Delhi 110 001
                                      India
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

          Form 20-F |X|                                   Form 40-F |_|

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): |_|

NOTE: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a
Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security
holders.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): |_|

NOTE: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a
Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant
foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the
jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally
organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home
country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the
report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has
not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a
material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other
Commission filing on EDGAR.

Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this
Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

          Yes |_|                                         No |X|





If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): ________

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                         Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited
                                         (Registrant)

Date: October 17, 2005

                                         By:    /s/ Anita Soni
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Name:  Ms. Anita Soni
                                             Title: Director (Finance)

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                    EXHIBITS

Exhibit 99
- ----------
Press release issued October 17, 2005 in which the Registrant announced that as
PWC's internal review process has taken much longer than anticipated it is
unable to file its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March
31, 2005 on a timely basis. The Registrant assures the market that the delay in
filing the Form 20-F is not caused by any problems with the Registrant's
business or financial condition.


                                       2

EX-99

                        MAHANAGAR TELEPHONE NIGAM LIMITED
                                  NEWS RELEASE

TRADING SYMBOL:  NYSE: MTE                                 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                                OCTOBER 17, 2005

                   MAHANAGAR TELEPHONE NIGAM LIMITED PROVIDES
                    STATUS UPDATE ON LATE FILING OF FORM 20-F

New Delhi, October 17, 2005 - Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (the "Company")
is providing an update on the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC") of the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the
fiscal year ended March 31, 2005 (the "2005 Form 20-F").

As in recent years, rather than reconciling statements prepared in accordance
with International Accounting Standards ("IAS") with Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles in the United States of America ("US GAAP"), we are having
our auditors, Price Waterhouse, Bangalore (New Delhi office) ("PWC") who have
also audited the three prior years, audit US GAAP statements. Late in their
audit process, PWC asked us to reconsider the way we account for employee
benefits and income taxes. As a result, we will be restating shareholders'
equity as of March 31, 2002 and shareholders' equity and net income as of and
for the periods ended March 31, 2003 and 2004 to reflect the impact of
adjustment in accounting for employee benefits and income taxes.

PWC's internal review process has taken much longer than anticipated and as a
consequence, we are unable to file the 2005 20-F on a timely basis.

The Company wants to assure the market that the delay in filing the 2005 20-F is
not caused by any problems with the Company's business or financial condition.

The Company is fully current in its filings with the Bombay Stock Exchange.