Undeterred by the controversy surrounding its acquisition of Hutch-Essar, Vodafone asserted on Monday it was fully compliant with the foreign direct investment regulations as it had 'only stepped into the shoes of Hutchison Telecom.'
UK's Vodafone is learnt to have approached the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for approval to acquire 52 per cent stake of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecom in mobile firm Hutch-Essar and also for investing in telecom activities.
Hutchison Telecom is expected to complete the sale of its 67 per cent stake in the country's fourth largest telecom company, Hutchison Essar, before the Chinese New Year holiday, which begins February 17.
As top bosses of Vodafone and Essar arrived in Hong Kong to negotiate a deal for acquiring Hutchison Telecom's Indian business, its parent company has indicated it will not consider any offer below $14 billion.
The admission comes as it seeks to ensure approval of the deal by Indian regulators under restrictive foreign investment laws.
Hutchison Telecom, the Hong Kong- based mobile major, on Tuesday said its first-half profits ended June have risen from the sale of its Indian assets to UK's Vodafone that included a one-time gain of Hong Kong dollars 69.3 billion.
Sunil Mittal's Bharti, in which British telecom firm Vodafone has 10 per cent stake, said on Thursday it is yet to hear a final word from the UK-based operator on its plans to buyout Hutchison Telecom's stake in Indian joint venture Hutch-Essar.
Mobile operator Hutchison Telecom, taken over by global giant Vodafone, has doubled its customer base while earnings and revenues swelled over between 50-55 per cent last year.
Hutchison Telecom is confident of reaching two million customers by December 2002, according Hutchison Telecom East Ltd Managing Director Asim Ghosh.
The Bombay High Court has dismissed Vodafone petition challenging the show cause notice issued by income tax department asking them to pay over $2 billion tax on the multi-crore Hutchinson takeover deal.
Vodafone on Wednesday said it will offload its entire 3.2 per cent shareholding in China Mobile, a divestment that will fetch the British telecom major about 4.3 billion pounds.
Bombay High Court had earlier dismissed a petition filed by Vodafone and ruled that the tax office had jurisdiction to tax its 2007 deal.
Vodafone on said it is seeking legal advice to challenge the Bombay High Court order that dismissed its plea against the I-T department's Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion) demand in tax and penalty on the company's acquisition of Hutchison Telecom in a deal of about Rs 50,000 crore (Rs 500 billion).
Delhi High Court issued notices on Monday to the Centre, Hutchison Telecom India Ltd, Hutch-Essar and its minority shareholders among others on a petition alleging breach of foreign direct investment norms in telecom sector.
Vodafone appointed to its board on Thursday a former group managing director at HTIL's parent company Hutchison Whampoa.
The government on Friday cleared British telecom firm Vodafone's application for buying a majority stake in India's fourth-largest mobile operator Hutch-Essar Ltd.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board has expressed dissatisfaction with the replies given by Hutchison Essar, its Hong Kong-based parent Hutchison Telecom International
The department wants opinion on whether the credit support given by Hutchison Telecom to Analjit Singh and Asim Ghosh (who hold 12.26 per cent in Hutch-Essar) can be considered a benami transaction.
Says cap breached on account of Singh, Ghosh stakes.
The FIPB referred the matter to the law ministry today.
British giant Vodafone and Indian conglomerate Essar group reached an agreement on Thursday for jointly running India's fourth largest mobile firm -- Hutch-Essar, which would be rechristened Vodafone Essar.
The Ruias are contemplating approaching the Ministry of Company Affairs for its views on the Right of First Refusal (RoFR) clause in their shareholders' agreement with Hutchison Telecom International Ltd (HTIL).
The high-profile bidding war for control of Hutch-Essar could intensify with reports in the British media suggesting that Indian partner Ruias have received funding pledges worth up to $25 billion to buy out foreign stakeholder Hutchison Telecom.
Private mobile service provider Hutch-Essar on Friday said its operations across 13 circles in the country have been consolidated under a single entity - Hutchison Max Telecom.\n
Sources said I-T deparment has sent a notice to Vodafone for not paying capital gains tax, arguing that the company should have deducted tax at source while making payment to Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecom International Ltd.
Seeks capital gains tax payment prior to FIPB clearance.
Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecom International Ltd, which sold its majority stake in Hutch-Essar to Vodafone, has already made its final submission before the investment regulator.
Government approval for British telecom giant Vodafone's takeover of Hutch-Essar now depends on whether the two minority stakeholders in the company can prove through documents that they are not acting as benami shareholders for Hutchison.
They turned a small family construction business into a conglomerate with interests in shipping, steel, oil and gas.
The little Pug that made mobile company Hutch's television ad one of the most successful campaigns of our times will follow the new master Vodafone, which has acquired Hutchison Telecom's stake in the venture.
Ahead of the key vote by Hutchison Telecom shareholders on sale of Indian assets to Vodafone, the Hong Kong-based firm and its minority partners in Hutch-Essar have asserted that their investments met foreign direct investment norms
Egyptian telecom firm Orascom's CEO Naguib Sawiris has resigned from the board of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecom, days before its shareholders are scheduled to consider the sale of its stake in Indian mobile venture Hutch-Essar to Vodafone.
Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin on Thursday met key members of the Ruia family, as part of efforts to woo the Essar Group to ensure smooth sailing of mobile venture Hutch-Essar, where the UK company is acquiring majority stake.
Hutchison Telecom International Ltd is believed to have called a meeting of shareholders on February 15 to seek their approval for the proposed sale of its 67 per cent stake in India's Hutch-Essar.
Hutchison Telecom on Sunday said talks were on with various suitors for sale of its holding in joint venture Hutch-Essar in India and that there was no time-frame for a decision.
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