April 11, 2012. Billionaire Vladimir Evtushenkov, who controls Russia's biggest mobile phone operator, is struggling to strike deals with India and link his telecoms and energy empire with Asia's third-biggest economy. His AFK Sistema (AFKS) investment firm had 21 Indian wireless licenses revoked Feb. 2 by the Asian nation's highest court. Talks to sell 25 percent of Sistema's OAO Bashneft unit, a Russian oil producer with a $10 billion market value, to Indian state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp. are deadlocked over price. Evtushenkov, with a $7.7 billion fortune according to Forbes, wants a bigger energy company and more phone clients among India's 1.2 billion people. He pitched the Bashneft deal as the first step in creating a venture with India's largest oil explorer to help double annual output to 60 million metric tons. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev broached the licensing dispute with Indian premier Manmohan Singh without a resolution, as the two countries try to build ties. Singh's government is appealing the invalidation of Sistema's wireless licenses.