The Indian tax authorities on Friday asked Vodafone to pay 112.18 billion rupees ($2.53bn) tax on its 2007 purchase of Hutchison Whampoa’s mobile business in the country, Reuters is reporting. “The tax demand is to be paid within 30 days of the receipt of the notice of demand,” the tax office said in a statement.

The tussle over tax has been going on for a while. It eventually reached the Indian high court, which had asked the tax office to calculate the bill by October 25. It managed to do so ahead of deadline, and Vodafone has already hit back. Continue reading »

India has a deep-rooted antipathy towards alcohol. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian independence, was a strict teetotaller who saw alcohol as a serious social evil. His home state, Gujarat, has had full prohibition since 1961, and his revulsion of drink continues to influence Indian policymakers, who generally see alcohol as something to discourage, partly by limiting its accessibility as much as possible.

But now in New Delhi the authorities are making things a bit easier for those who fancy a drink. Continue reading »