Opponents in the bidding war for Hutchison Essar cannot be pleased by Ashok Hinduja’s recent declaration of interest in the mobile phone company.

One of the most powerful businessmen in India, Mr Hinduja is the youngest of the clan’s four brothers. He runs the Indian arm of the Hinduja group, while his brothers oversee the family’s businesses from London and Geneva.

Their diverse interests include Gulf Oil, banking and media. More famously, they hit the headlines in Britain a few years ago for their £1 million donation to the Millennium Dome, which coincided with an application by one of the Hinduja brothers for British citizenship.

The ensuing outcry led to Peter Mandelson’s second resignation from the Government over his role in the affair. Like his brothers, Ashok Hinduja is a devout Hindu who eschews alcohol, meat and cigarettes.

The Hindujas are keen philanthropists, funding Indian hospitals and schools through their family foundation. They are considered leading members of the affluent Sindhi community in India.

More than a million Sindhis fled to India from Pakistan after an outbreak of violence in Sind province after partition. The Sindhi diaspora is now scattered across the world in cities such as London, Sydney and Dubai. Mr Hinduja lives in Bombay. His daughter, Ambika, is a film-maker.