Oslo - Norwegian telecommunications group Telenor on Wednesday posted an increase in pre-tax profit and sales for third- quarter of 2008 and unveiled plans to expand into India.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were 10 billion kroner (1.44 billion dollars), compared to 9.48 billion kroner in the corresponding business period of 2007.

Sales increased year-on-year from 26.6 billion kroner to 27.6 billion kroner, the group said.

Chief executive Jon Fredrik Baksaas said Telenor had 159 million mobile telephone subscriptions at the end of the quarter.

Baksaas said the business environment was "currently more turbulent, and we foresee a period with lower global growth."

In Asia it experienced strong competition, he said.

In a separate move, Telenor said it had signed a deal to secure a 60-per-cent controlling stake in Indian group Unitech Wireless.

Telenor said the deal that was subject to approval from regulatory authorities was worth 1.07 billion dollars.

"Gaining access to the world's second largest mobile market is a major achievement for Telenor," Baksaas said in a statement.

In its Norwegian home, Telenor had 54 per cent of the mobile market, and 61 per cent of the fixed-line market measured in traffic minutes.

The group kept its earlier outlook of 3-per-cent revenue growth for the year.

In addition to Norway and neighbouring Sweden and Denmark, Telenor has operations in Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh. (dpa)