New Delhi, Feb. 10: British operator Vodafone today named Analjit Singh the non-executive chairman for its India unit as the company gears up for listing on the local bourses.

Singh, a telecom industry veteran and the head of Max India, holds about 3 per cent in Vodafone India, which is the country's third-largest mobile phone company with about 147.75 million users.

The appointment, effective from February 16, marks a full circle for Singh as he had founded Max Telecom, which was subsequently renamed Hutchison Essar, Vodafone Essar and finally Vodafone India as the company's ownership changed.

Vodafone Group chief executive officer Vittorio Colao said, "Analjit has been a long-standing, reliable and trustworthy partner in India."

Vodafone Group bought Hutchison Whampoa's 67 per cent stake in Hutchison Essar in 2007 and agreed to buy out Indian joint venture partner Essar Group in July 2011.

Analysts said Singh's appointment indicated that Vodafone was preparing for an India listing because local rules required publicly traded companies to compulsorily have a chairman, though privately held firms are exempted.

The development comes barely a month after the UK company won a verdict in the Supreme Court over a $2-billion tax liability on the 2007 deal, paving the way for its domestic listing. The company is said to have started the groundwork by appointing financial advisory firm Rothschild.

"It (a listing) is on the cards," Singh told a television channel. "We will see in a year or so how things will pan out."

Singh said the company would be in a better position to talk about the listing in three months after assessing trends in the market and industry growth.

Having overcome the tax hurdle, the UK parent now plans to raise its stake in the Indian unit closer to the 74 per cent limit, Singh added.

A pact in July last year with Essar would have taken Vodafone's direct ownership in its Indian arm to 75.3 per cent. However, after Piramal Healthcare picked up 11 per cent in Vodafone India, the UK parent's stake has come down to 64.3 per cent. Piramal plans to exit in 12-18 months, starting February, with an IPO being an exit option.

Nick Read, CEO of Vodafone's Africa, West Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, said, "Singh knows our business well, having been the founder and chairman of Max Telecom, the business which has grown to become Vodafone India with nearly 150 million customers."