Vodafone Expands Presence In IndiaVodafone Expands Presence In India

Global carrier Vodafone expanded its presence in India, acquiring Hutchison's stake in Indian carrier Hutch. Vodafone outbid rivals Reliance and the Hinduja group to win the stake. The deal will give Vodafone a larger presence in one of the world's leading wireless growth markets.Vodafone already owns a 10% stake in Indian carrier Bharti Telecom. The company also supposedly has signed a network sharing agreement with Bharti.

Vodafone's acquisition of the Hutch stake is fueling talk of emerging markets at 3GSM. Lower-cost handsets with more robust features are seen as keys to growing emerging wireless markets like India.

Capitalizing on this theme, Samsung president Choi Gee-sung said his company plans to target lower cost models, but that it will not sacrifice profitability to do so.