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Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications (RCOM) is in talks to raise up to $5-6 billion from banks to part-finance its planned acquisition of the South African telco MTN. RCOM may pledge the shares of MTN to raise the funds and also provide some sort of guarantee to the lenders. Sources in the know said Deustsche Bank, HSBC and Barclays, among others, are putting in place short-term financing for RCOM to finance the deal. A few Indian banks and a host of European banks have also offered an underlying commitment to lend money for the transaction. RCOM will have to repay this debt in a year or so by raising long-term funding. RCOM’s 45-day exclusivity period (during which MTN could not consider any alternative partner) ends on July 7. It’s unlikely that the transaction would be completed by then, said a source in the know. Instead, the exclusivity period might be extended. The entire transaction is expected to be routed through a special purpose vehicle (SPV). In addition to RCOM, other partners could also pick up equity in this SPV. RCOM is learnt to have been in talks with a Middle East-based sovereign wealth fund and a couple of private equity players to offer stake in the SPV. It is learnt that the private equity funds are not-so-keen to participate in the SPV, while the sovereign fund is interested in it. RCOM will likely hold a majority equity stake in the SPV. […]
Non-voice BPO firm Tricom India will pay $2.25 million for acquiring 100 per cent stake in the US-based Pacific Data Centers Inc (PDC). The new acquisition will enhance Tricom`s capabilities to address the needs of clients whose data cannot be sent offshore and also expand its service portfolio in other business domains, according to Mr Chetan Kothari, Managing Director of Tricom India Ltd. Established in 1976, PDC provides services such as data entry, data conversion, imaging, OCR, medical billing, claims processing, printing, mailing, and lock box services. Its customers include Government agencies, hospitals, insurance companies, direct mailers, banks, utilities and management organisations. […]
Auto ancillary maker Amtek Auto is reported to be making a bid to acquire German castings company KSM Castingsfor around 250 million euros (around Rs1,700 crore). Apart from Amtek Auto two global private equity players are also reported to be in the race to acquire the firm for which the bidding has entered the second round. The Frankfurt-based KSM Castings supplies light metal casting products for the automotive industry. The proposed acquisition is part of Amtek's strategy to boost its revenues from overseas operations. If the deal is successful, it will be one of the largest acquisitions by an Indian company in the automotive forging category. KSM Castings' clientele includes Volkswagen Group, Daimler, BMW, Ford, Porsche, Bosch, and Mann & Hummel. The German company reported sales of e355 million last year. […]
After acquiring a stake in Air Deccan last year, UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya is all set to expand his wings further in the domestic aviation space. According to sources, now Mallya is eyeing a stake in low-cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet. Last year when Kingfisher Airlines took a 26% stake in Air Deccan, Mallya had evinced interest in picking up a stake in SpiceJet but things did not move forward. “I am interested in SpiceJet but I am not a predator,” he had said then. Kingfisher is now learnt to be eyeing a part of either the 12.9% stake held by SpiceJet's promoter, UK-based NRI Bhupendra Kansagra or the 13.4% stake held by Dubai-based investment firm Istithmar PJSC. Kansagra was under a lock-in period, which barred him from selling any part of his stake in SpiceJet. The lock-in period ended a few months ago. Kingfisher's executive vice president Hitesh Patel said he would not comment on the issue, but added: “I can see additional consolidation in the industry in next 12 to 18 months. All these airlines won't be hanging around that long. If as predicted, crude hits $178 to a barrel in September, it will kill some players…. The access to funds of Kingfisher is strong and the backing of UB Group is a strong plus.” […]
Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications (RCOM) may be examining alternative structures to bring about its proposed mega-combination with MTN. RCOM, possibly in partnership with a sovereign wealth fund based in the Middle East, may directly buy a large equity stake in MTN, emerging as the single largest shareholder. This is to avoid legal disputes that may arise from Reliance Industries’ (RIL) claims of right of first refusal (RoFR) if RCOM were to enter into a reverse merger with MTN. Under the reverse merger route, MTN would have made an open offer for RCOM followed by a share swap between Reliance ADAG, promoters of RCOM, and MTN. ADAG would then have emerged as the single largest shareholder of MTN while RCOM will become subsidiary of MTN. That plan has not been junked, but sources close to the development said RCOM is also examining the option of directly acquiring a 40% stake in MTN. A Middle East-based sovereign wealth fund could join hands with RCOM for the acquisition of the controlling stake in MTN. The name of the fund could not be ascertained. […]
Umicore has reached an agreement to acquire Anandeya Zinc Oxides Private Limited, located in Goa, India. The company will be fully integrated into Umicore's Zinc Chemicals business and will support the business unit's strategy of growing its position as one of the worldwide leaders in the manufacturing of high-purity, specialty zinc compounds. The acquisition and the intended additional investment amount to some USD 10 million. The intended investment involves expanding Anandeya's current zinc oxides product range to different zinc chemicals in order to provide broader support for the growth of Umicore's global customers in the expanding markets of India and the Middle East. The acquired site has spare land for the expansion of zinc chemicals production or for the incorporation of other industrial activities. The experience gained in the transaction will also benefit Umicore in its pursuit of future growth possibilities in India. The transaction is subject to certain standard closing conditions and is expected to be completed by early August. […]
NYSE Euronext (NYX) has announced that it has completed through its affiliate Euronext NV, the acquisition of 5 percent equity in the multi commodity exchange (MCX), India's largest commodity exchange group. The 5 percent equity investment is the maximum equity interest permitted by a single foreign investor in exchanges under current Indian law. “Asia pacific is a strong, growing region for global capital markets and we formalize our intent to be a part of that growth by investing in and working with MCX” said Lawrence Leibowitz, NYSE Euronext's group executive vice president. Speaking on the occasion MD and CEO, MCX, Joseph Massey said, “The strategic investment by NYSE in MCX takes our relationship to the next level and we see it as strategically important in the global context.” […]
Tyson Foods has purchased 51% ownership of Godrej Foods, a subsidiary of Godrej Agrovet, an Indian agribusiness company. The joint venture between Godrej Agrovet and Tyson will be called Godrej Tyson Foods Annual sales for the venture are initially expected to be in the range of $50 million and are anticipated to grow as operations are expanded. The venture includes one chicken processing facility in Mumbai, in western India, and another in Bangalore, in the southern part of the country. The two plants have a combined production capacity of 60,000 birds per day and have approximately 1,000 contract production workers. The Godrej processing operations are supplied by six contracted hatcheries and a network of contracted broiler operations, which produce live birds to the company's specifications. […]
OnMobile, India's leading and pioneering Telecom Value Added Services (VAS) provider today announced that it has acquired 100% of the leading European Speech Recognition company, telisma. The addition of telisma’s standards compliant speech recognition products & expertise will enable OnMobile to accelerate its penetration into fast growing emerging markets by developing new speech recognition language models. This technology enables quick and easy access to mobile applications and content and also strengthens OnMobile’s mobile applications product suite. Telisma was created in August 2000 as a spin-off from France Telecom’s Research and Development Laboratory funded by leading European venture capital firms. Telisma has a team of around 40 employees including 9 PhDs & 18 engineers and has its operations in Europe & India. […]
Top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc is close to buying Malaysia's Maxis Communications' 74 percent stake in Indian mobile operator Aircel, the Economic Times said on Monday, citing unnamed sources. AT&T, which is seeking to re-enter the world's fastest-growing cellular market, has valued Aircel at $5-$6 billion, the newspaper said. “At the upper end, the ticket price includes a control premium of around 30 percent, which AT&T is expected to pay for taking management control,” it said. The paper said Maxis CEO Sandip Das declined comment. Maxis, Malaysia's top mobile services firm, holds 74 percent in Aircel, the maximum permissible by Indian law, with the remainder held by India's Apollo Hospitals Enterprises . […]
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