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India has added itself to the growing list of nations putting extra pressure on global tech titans over tax-related matters, after reportedly tapping Nokia on the shoulder regarding irregularities which could total 30bn Rs (£340m).

A spokesman for the Finnish phone maker told The Hindu it was “visited” by tax officials at the facility in Sriperumbudur, an industrial zone near Chennai, and was “fully co-operating to ensure they get the necessary information to help in their inquiry”.

The firm will be hoping for a swift resolution of any tax issues, given that its performance in India and other emerging markets will be important to the company’s future success. Although Nokia's 14-year reign as the world’s largest handset maker ended last year and the company has struggled financially, things are looking a lot better in these up-and-coming markets.

Device sales in India are forecast by Gartner to grow at over 13 per cent in 2013 to reach 251 million units, and as of Q2 2012 – when fresh data was last made available – Nokia led the mobile handset market there with a 22 per cent share, according to local analyst CMR.

The possible unpaid tax bill of £340m was touted by India’s Economic Times , which spoke to an anonymous “IT official” with the government.

India's tax authorities have been clamping down on foreign companies based in the region.

Vodafone’s six-year-long battle with the Indian government took another turn last week after it was handed a bill in excess of £2.2bn relating to its acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa’s Indian business in 2007.

Google has also been on the receiving end, hit with a £8.7m fine for various accounting violations.

Nokia couldn’t immediately be reached for comment, but a spokesman gave The Hindu the following statement:

As a global company, Nokia consistently fields a large and steady number of tax queries, audits and assessments. Nokia’s commitment to being a good corporate citizen is firm, and unwavering. We always observe applicable laws and rulings in the countries where we operate. This has been a core principle of our operations in India, where Nokia has been present since 1995.

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