Indian software and services company HCLTech is expanding its role in the telco sector, by acquiring a second tranche of assets from HPE. The deal brings HCLTech into direct competition with HPE, since both companies now offer OSS and BSS services for telcos. HPE Juniper, the recently merged entity, will be leaning on its reputation as an AI specialist to give it an edge against its new competitor. But HCLTech will have a lot of work to do to integrate the new systems and monetize the telco sector. HCLTech paid INR 14.38 billion ($160 million) for HPE’s Telco Solutions Business, which houses much of HPE’s OSS assets, in a deal announced in mid-December. The terms of the deal include a…