New Delhi (PTI): British telecom giant Vodafone has said that norms followed by India in allocating scarce spectrum did not match world standards and actually appear "unusual."

"The way the spectrum (radio frequency) has been allocated is slightly unusual by world standards," Vodafone's outgoing CEO Arun Sarin told NDTV Profit.

The government has issued as many as 120 new licenses in the mobile telephony space and has also started allocating start-up spectrum to new players.

"We have been given some spectrum and others too have been given. But the fact is that we need more spectrum and whether we get it from government or from the new players who have been given licensees is to be seen," he said.

To a query that what could be the reason for him to announce his retirement at this juncture, Sarin said it was a matter of his tenure coming to an end. He did not respond to whether he was joining any other company after two months.

India-born Sarin, 53, who was only in April named the most influential businessperson in British technology and telecom space for overcoming shareholder dissent and making Vodafone the largest mobile service provider, has led the company for about five years.