Virgin Group has joined up with Essar, Vodafone’s partner in India, to launch a “one-stop” mobile phone chain aimed at seizing a chunk of the country’s fast-growing wireless market.

Sir Richard Branson’s group will work with the Indian conglomerate on rolling out a chain of up to 2,500 mobile stores across India.

The outlets will provide hand-sets, accessories and repairs in the same vein as Britain’s Carphone Warehouse.

The tie-up with Essar marks the latest in a series of ambitious projects by Virgin Group — a £10 billion revenue, 50,000employee group, whose interests range from pay TV, credit cards and gyms to casinos and space trips.

Not every venture has enjoyed unmitigated success. For example, recently the group pulled Victory Corporation, its struggling cosmetics and jewellery business, off the stock market. Virgin Trains has been tarnished by a stream of complaints.

Virgin’s work with Essar marks its latest attempt to cement its brand in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

As The Times revealed in January, Virgin Mobile, Sir Richard’s no-frills mobile brand, is also in talks with Tata, another Indian conglomerate, about launching a mobile service in the country.

Virgin is set to become an exclusive franchisee of Tata Teleservices, Tata’s telecoms arm and India’s sixth-largest mobile operator.

Only 14 per cent of India’s population has a mobile phone, according to Wireless Intelligence. That should soar to more than 30 per cent by 2011, it predicts.

Vodafone, the world’s biggest mobile player, recently secured agreement to seize control of Hutchison Essar, India’s fourth-biggest mobile operator, in an $18.8 billion (£9.5 billion) deal. Essar, the existing minority shareholder, has agreed to stay on as Vodafone’s joint venture partner.

Essar, which is managed by the brothers Shashi and Ravi Ruia, said that it wants to open more than 2,500 The Mobile Store shops over the next three years. The Indian group, which has already launched 70 stores under its Esser Telecom Retail venture, claimed that the combination of the “Essar heritage and the backing of the Virgin brand” would provide a winning formula.

Carphone Warehouse, which has a joint venture in France with Virgin Mobile, has expressed no interest in rolling out the model in India. It is concentrating instead on exploiting opportunities in the more mature markets of Europe and the United States.

The also-rans

Victory Corporation: Virgin delisted its cosmetics and jewellery division last year after widening losses

Virgin Cola: Sir Richard Branson conceded in 2001 it is “certainly not our most successful company”

Virgin Cars: Virgin aimed to make it Britain’s “biggest car dealer”. Sold in 2006 and Virgin brand withdrawn

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