Telenor ASA's (TEL.OS) Asian business head said Tuesday he met India's communications minister, Kapil Sibal, and sought protection of the company's investments in the country after the Supreme Court last week ordered cancellation of the licenses of its local unit and several other companies.

"We are talking to the (Indian) government because we need to protect our investment," Sigve Brekke, also the Norwegian company's executive vice president, told reporters. "And, we also need to make sure that there is a framework for continuing our business."

He didn't elaborate further on the discussions.

Norway's information technology minister, Rigmor Aasrud, also separately discussed the Telenor issue with Sibal Tuesday. She described the meeting as "constructive" and "fruitful."

India's Supreme Court last week ordered the cancellation of 122 telecom licenses--including 22 held by Unitech Wireless, Telenor's joint venture with local real-estate company Unitech Ltd. The order will become effective after four months.

Telenor entered India by acquiring a 67.3% stake in Unitech Wireless from Unitech in 2008 for about INR61 billion ($1.25 billion). It has so far provided more than INR80 billion in corporate guarantees to the unit, making it India's second-largest foreign investor in the telecom sector, after Vodafone Group PLC.

Unitech Wireless currently has about 40 million users and provides services under the Uninor brand.

-By Prasanta Sahu, Dow Jones Newswires; +91-9967586928; romit.guha@dowjones.com

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