Vodafone Group has sold its 4.2 per cent stake in Bharti Airtel for $200 million to Bharti Enterprise in order to conform to regulatory requirements by the Department of Telecommunication.

The government’s new unified licence regime bars a single entity from holding stake in two different telecom service operating companies. Vodafone has earlier acquired 10 per cent stake in Bhart Airtel in 2005; part of which was sold in 2007.