As Vodafone examines the books of Hutch Essar for a possible bid, its chief executive Arun Sarin is likely to meet Commerce Minister Kamal Nath.Nath, who has already spoken to EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson on the issue, said he was likely to meet Sarin on Wednesday.
"The European Trade Commissioner spoke to me on the phone on the possibility of Vodafone bidding for Hutch," Nath said on the sidelines of FICCI annual general meeting.
Nath said the EU trade chief wanted to understand the Indian regulatory regime. "We told him that India has best commercial practices by law," Nath said.
Mandelson had on Monday raised the issue of Vodafone's interest to buy out Hutchison's 67 stake in Hutch Essar.
EU's support for Vodafone comes within days of the UK-based firm's representatives meeting senior officials of department of telecom seeking clarity on FDI policies.
Sarin, the India-born CEO of the world's largest mobile operator, is likely to reach New Delhi even as senior officials of his company have started a due diligence of Hutch Essar Ltd, the country's fourth-largest mobile firm.
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