Hinduja says still interested in Hutch Essar

MUMBAI: Hinduja group remains interested in buying a controlling stake in telecom firm Hutchison Essar Ltd., a top official said on Thursday, denying a newspaper report it had stepped back.

"We are interested in Hutchison Essar and reports of us withdrawing are false," Ashok Hinduja, executive chairman at Hinduja, said.

"We are beginning our due diligence of Hutch on February 5,"  he said.

London's Times newspaper reported on Thursday the Hinduja group were no longer deemed serious bidders, citing unnamed sources.