Days ahead of the key vote by Hutchison Telecom's shareholders on selling its Indian assets to Britain's Vodafone, Hindujas claimed on Tuesday that they were still in race to acquire the Hong Kong-based company's 67 percent stake in the Indian mobile joint venture Hutch-Essar.

"Our bid is pending...it is not yet closed...it is open till April," Hinduja Group chairman Srichand P Hinduja told PTI.

He said the Hindujas had put in a bid of $20 billion -- higher than Vodafone's bid of $19.3 billion.

Hindujas, in January, announced their intention of bidding for Hutchison Essar Ltd.

This is the first time Hindujas have come on record about the amount they have bid.

However, Hutchison Telecom last month agreed to sell its 67 percent stake to Vodafone.

The British company has since also approached the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for getting approval of the deal as well as its investment plans.

Hinduja's statement comes just days before HTIL's shareholders meet on March 9 to consider the sale of its stake in India's fourth-largest mobile player to Vodafone, the world's largest mobile company in terms of revenue.

Earlier, they had a 5.11 percent stake in Hutch Essar, which they sold off.

Ashok Hinduja of Hinduja Group had said earlier that with 5 percent stake they did not have much to do in the company. Whereas if it comes for sale then they would be interested, he had said at a press meet while announcing their intention of entering the Hutch race.