"Kraft's acquisition of Cadbury is a global acquisition, where some value is attributable to India. This is different from Vodafone, where the transfer of a single share of the offshore company by Hutch resulted in the Indian business getting transferred to Vodafone," said Pranay Bhatia, associate partner at legal firm Economic Laws Practice.
Vodafone is locked in twin tax disputes with the government.
I-T department has fixed Rs 12,000-crore tax claim on the 2007 deal in which Vodafone bought Hutch's 67 per cent stake in Hutchison Essar for $11.2 billion.
British telecom major Vodafone on Friday said it had made an adjustment to the tune of Rs 3,400 crore in its fair market value to account for the payment it has made for 3G licences. This will be the additional amount payable to Essar, the 33 per cent shareholder in the company's Indian operations, if Essar opts for an independent valuation of its stake while exercising its put option.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday deferred till August 2 the hearing on an appeal filed by Vodafone International challenging income tax department's decision to levy tax on the company for acquiring stake of Hutchison International in Hutchison-Essar in a $11.1 billion deal in February 2007.
The Anil Ambani group company is in advanced talks with France Telecom for a branding, marketing and franchisee agreement. The company plans to launch the brand by the second quarter of FY09, according to sources close to the development. Initially, the Orange may be launched on RCom's CDMA network -- spanning across 23,000 towns and 5 lakh villages in India -- and later extended to its 8 GSM circles. The Indian company has a total of 44.5 million subscribers in India.
However, Misra added that Vodafone will need to follow this transition up with a highly visible multimedia campaign in the initial two months. "This will instill confidence among consumers that their brand is in the right hands," he said.
A landmark tax case between Vodafone of the UK and the Indian government that is set to determine the future climate for mergers and acquisitions in the country began on Monday.
Bid to plug loopholes that surfaced in Hutch Essar case.
The total revenues and net profit of the top six Indian telecom players, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, BSNL, Hutchison Essar, MTNL and Idea Cellular, more than doubled during the last two years.
Over the weekend, the Bombay high court quietly published a 160-page court order detailing its decision to dismiss a petition by Vodafone of the UK against the Indian tax department.
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 of telecommunications is planning to seek details from four operators - Bharti-Airtel, Hutchison-Essar, Tata Teleservices Ltd and Reliance Communications - on the fulfillment of rollout obligations under the mobile telephony licence.
The FIPB referred the matter to the law ministry today.
The clarification comes a day after Vodafone signed a shareholders' agreement with the Essar group.
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 Hinduja group says it will bid for Italian tyre and real estate major Pirelli's stake in Telecom Italia only if the acquisition gives it management control in Italy's largest telecommunications operator.
The Hinduja Group, which has evinced interest in acquiring India's fourth-largest mobile operator Hutchison Essar, is also considering to buy part of a controlling stake in Telecom Italia, media reports said in London.
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.
The Ruias have received overwhelming response from international banks for funding of their proposed bid to pick up Hutchison's 67 per cent equity stake in Hutchison-Essar Ltd, in which they hold the remaining stake.
Buoyant stock markets and booming telecom sector appear to have generated some interest among global equity players with Blackstone and Texas Pacific approaching Hutchison to buy stake in its India venture but the move could face hurdles.
Anil Ambani-controlled Reliance Communications has entered into an agreement with GSM service providers Hutchison-Essar and the Aditya Birla-controlled Idea Cellular to share passive infrastructure for cell sites.
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.
As India's largest drugmaker unveiled a deal worth up to $4.6bn to sell control to Daiichi Sankyo of Japan, the disbelief at the press conference was palpable.
Vodafone, which has equity interests in 25 countries besides India where it bought controlling stake in Hutchison Essar early this year, said its capital expenditure on fixed assets this fiscal would be around 4.7-5.1 billion.
In the case, which will begin on Tuesday and last for five days, Indian tax authorities will argue that Vodafone, the UK-based mobile phone group headed by Arun Sarin, is liable for an estimated $2bn in taxes on its $11bn acquisition of local operator, Hutchison Essar, last year.
Finance ministry is understood to have reservations on the ownership of minority stakeholders in Hutchison-Essar and is likely to raise the issue at the FIPB meeting.
Seeks capital gains tax payment prior to FIPB clearance.
the Company Affairs Ministry has come out in support of Essar by asking FIPB to change guidelines that allow greater say to the Indian partner in the consultative process.
The income tax (I-T) department in Mumbai has requested Vodafone to make an application to the assessing officer for determining the exact tax liability resulting from buying out 62 per cent equity stake from Hutchison in Hutchison Essar Ltd.
Sterling Infotech Group and Hutchison Essar Group have terminated the agreement, which contemplated acquisition of Sterling's Aircel and Aircel Cellular by Aircel Digilink India, a part of the Hutch Group.
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
The Ruias, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group, Hindujas and Vodafone are all believed to have put in their bids.
For Orascom, the real jewel in HTIL's crown was Hutchison Essar, India's fourth largest mobile phone company and a natural complement to its existing operations in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Ruias of Essar have informed merchant bankers that they have 'veto powers' to prevent any buyer of Hutchison Whampoa's 67 per cent stake in Hutchison-Essar from using its own brand name.
The UK on Tuesday assured complete government neutrality on Tata Steel's bid to acquire Corus and sought similar treatment for British telecom firm Vodafone in its bid to acquire mobile venture Hutchison-Essar.
British telecom giant Vodafone could face a downgrade in its credit rating by Standard and Poor's if its proposed bid for Hutchison Essar Ltd exceeds $19 billion, a media report said in London.
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.
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