NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Vodafone Group Plc wonthe Indian cabinet's approval for its $1.6 billion deal to buyout minority partners in its unit in the country, Informationand Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said on Thursday.
Vodafone, which entered India in 2007 by buying HutchisonWhampoa's local cellular assets in a $11 billion deal,directly and indirectly owns a combined 84.5 percent of VodafoneIndia, the country's No.2 telecoms company by users and revenue.
Vodafone will buy an almost 11 percent stake in the unitfrom India's Piramal Enterprises, and the remainderheld by investors including Indian businessman Analjit Singh, toown 100 percent of Vodafone India.
The deal was cleared by the Indian foreign investmentregulator in December, but needed final approval from thecabinet.