Britain's Vodafone Group will today consider a $13.5 billion-plus offer for India's Hutchison Essar, the Financial Timesreported.

Indian newspapers reported on Wednesday that Vodafone was exploring options for a bid for Hutchison Essar to expand in the world's fastest growing cellular services market.

Such a move would likely trigger a bidding war with Reliance Communications, India's second-biggest mobile services firm, which is controlled by the Anil Ambani group, today's edition of the newspaper said.

Hutchison is the fourth-largest wireless operator in India with a 16 per cent market share, behind Bharti's 21.5 per cent, Reliance's 20.4 per cent and state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam's 16.5 per cent.

Hutchison Essar is 67 per cent-owned by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing's Hutchison Telecommunications International.

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