Vodafone may offer $13.5 bn

LONDON: Vodafone is likely to consider a $13.5 billion offer for Hutchison Essar. The Vodafone board is expected to meet on Friday.

Canning Fok, managing director of Hutchison Whampoa and Ravi Ruia, vice-chairman of Essar, who are both expected to be in London on Friday.

It’s not clear whether Vodafone’s board will be ready to make a bid, but the firm has said in the past that it wants to boost its slow growth in European businesses by buying assets in emerging markets.

Vodafone declined to comment on a possible bid.