Mukesh Ambani yesterday took the first formal step towards enforcing a right of first refusal on the sale of shares in Indian mobile operator Reliance Communications to South Africa's MTN.

Reliance Industries, the company run by Mr Ambani, said it had written to Reliance Communications, run by his brother Anil, to begin talks over the right of first refusal, in a process that could see the siblings dispute over ownership of the shares end up in court.