By Sarah Arnott A five-day hearing starts in the Mumbai High Court today to decide whether Vodafone could owe the Indian tax authorities some $2bn (1bn) for its $11.2bn takeover of one of the subcontinent's major mobile phone networks.

Vodafone has finally gained the necessary regulatory approvals for its acquisition of the controlling stake in Hutchison Essar, India's second largest mobile operator.

In a sign of the new direction being taken by India's second largest mobile operator, Hutchison Essar has agreed with NTT DoCoMo not to proceed with a contract regarding the licensing of the i-mode mobile internet service in India.

By Morris, Iain India If you're a mobile operator looking to expand, you'd be hard- pressed to find a more buoyant market than India.

By BILL CONDIE VODAFONE'S $11 billion (Pounds 5.7