Kolkata, December 18, 2007: Vodafone Essar, the largest cellular service provider in West Bengal, today announced that it has crossed the landmark of four million subscribers in the state and has maintained its position of being the largest operator in West Bengal. Vodafone has maintained a high subscriber growth rate along with extensive penetration in the interiors of West Bengal.

Vodafone has consistently provided its subscribers in West Bengal with a large network coverage, relevant value added services and customised products and services along with strong customer service. By continuously adding new sites and coverage areas, Vodafone has reinforced and strengthened its leadership position in the state covering more than 1800 towns and 40,500 villages.

2.27 million subscriber base in December 2006 grows to 4 million in December 2007.

Sridhar Rao, Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone Essar - Kolkata & West Bengal said, “We are delighted that our customers have helped us maintain our continued leadership status in West Bengal. We at Vodafone constantly strive to provide our customers with a superior experience through innovative products and services that suit local requirements. The combination of high reachability backed by strong customer service has made Vodafone the brand of choice for over 4 million customers.”

About Vodafone Essar Limited
Vodafone Essar in India is a subsidiary of Vodafone Group Plc and commenced operations in 1994 when its predecessor Hutchison Telecom acquired the cellular licence for Mumbai. Vodafone Essar now has operations in 16 circles covering 86% of India’s mobile customer base, with over 38.5 million customers*.

Over the years, Vodafone Essar, under the Hutch brand, has been named the ‘Most Respected Telecom Company’, the ‘Best Mobile Service in the country’ and the ‘Most Creative and Most Effective Advertiser of the Year’.

Vodafone is the world’s leading international mobile communications company. It now has operations in 25 countries across 5 continents and 40 partner networks with over 200 million customers worldwide. Vodafone has partnered with the Essar Group as its principal joint venture partner for the Indian market.

The Essar Group is a diversified business corporation with interests spanning the manufacturing and service sectors like Steel, Energy, Power, Communications, Shipping & Logistics and Construction. The Group has an asset base of over Rs.400 billion (US$ 10 billion) and employs over 20,000 people.

*Figures from Cellular Operators Association of India, November 30, 2007.

For more information, please contact:

Rajiv Sarkar / Anindita Sarkar
Genesis Burson-Marsteller
Vodafone: +91 9830703778 / +91 9830060673
email: rajiv.sarkar@bm.com / anindita.sarkar@bm.com