Investment banking experts and capital market advisors, who are engaged in talks with companies that are looking at fund-raising options, said that while 13 large-cap companies were looking at raising capital to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore through QIPs, rights issues and NCDs, 20 other companies had initiated talks to raise about Rs 15,000-20,000 crore. At least 10 NCD issuances are expected during the first half to raise a total of Rs 10,000-15,000 crore.
It hopes to enter the business in 9-15 months. "We have plans to enter diesel generator, petrol, LPG and kerosene segment, but it will be too early to comment on any specific deal," said Kalyan Bhattacharya, president and CEO, Birla Power Solutions. "The size of the acquisition will depend on the horse power of the engines manufactured by the company. BPSL is looking at a company manufacturing diesel engines of capacities ranging between 25 horse power and 200 horse power."
Failed attempt to acquire stake in Kolhapur-based bank seen as trigger.
Market experts said on an average around 80,000 accounts were opened every month during 2008-09 as against 0.3 million accounts monthly in 2007-2008. "Investors are closing their accounts as brokerage houses have started levying annual maintenance charges. Even the depositories have increased their transaction fees. We currently open about 25,000 accounts on an average per month as compared to over 40,000 accounts during 2007-08," said an official at a large securities house.
Tech Mahindra, the highest bidder for Satyam Computer Services, has tied up Rs 875 crore funding from mutual funds and insurance companies and is in talks with banks to mobilise Rs 1,000 crore bridge loans.
Demand on capital gains on Idea share sale by Mauritius subsidiary; Fema and telecom regulation violations also alleged
Total MF investments in debt papers like certificate of deposits, commercial papers and collaterised borrowing and lending obligations stood at around Rs 184,000 crore at the end of February. Industry experts said that by March-end, this corpus had depleted by over 50 per cent. "The industry would have lost around Rs 1 lakh crore as banks and institutions redeemed their investments during the last week of March," said Jaideep Bhattacharya of UTI Asset Management Company.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided "in principle" to bring under its regulatory ambit holding companies floated by business groups and companies that also own non-banking finance companies (NBFC).
Interestingly, mutual funds had increased their holdings in Satyam to 38.6 million shares in December, after its controversial proposal to acquire promoter-family firms Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties was blocked by institutional players. Fund managers believed then that Satyam was available cheap. However, on January 7, Ramalinga Raju delivered a fatal blow by declaring he had fudged the company's balance sheet for seven years.
Depressed markets, Sebi queries, change in guidelines halt launches.
The department had sent a notice to the company seeking details and clarifications on a host of issues besides the original agreement between Hutch and Vodafone to establish the jurisdiction of the tax authorities to determine the tax liability. This follow an SC order in January 2009 to the effect that Vodafone should present its case to the tax authorities first and submit a copy of the share purchase agreement, the deadline for which expires by the end of this month.
Internal assessment follows banks' worries over systemic risks.
Most of these deals include outstanding payments for acquisitions or stakes in companies. Market experts explained that these Indian firms were keen to settle their deals, even at a discount as they feared that payments might get delayed indefinitely, in case the matter reached court. Lehman's assets in India are currently valued at over Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion).
Sources said a notification to this effect will be released soon. Indian arms of foreign firms make it a rule that audits must be conducted by their foreign partners for Indian companies approaching the overseas markets for any reason. No such rule exists, the source said, although the practice is common. "We are screening partnership agreements of all these firms to analyse the legal basis on which the foreign firms audit Indian companies," the source added.
The central bank will send its comments to the finance ministry shortly. Sources close to the developments said a better way could have been worked out to increase the sectoral caps. The sources said while a cap was meant to protect the interest of the Indian shareholders in sensitive sectors, the new mode of calculation of indirect foreign holding provided for a circuitous way.
Issue tied in with review of foreign bank operations in India. RBI had earlier proposed to defer the review, which is meant to provide guidelines for the presence of foreign banks in India from April 2009 onwards, given the current economic meltdown globally and in the domestic markets.
In a few months, private sector lender IndusInd Bank may have a new identity. The move was in line with the repositioning exercise initiated by the new management team led by Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Romesh Sobti.
Cash-strapped Royal Bank of Scotland is reviewing its branding agreement with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar a year into the deal.
International hoteliers operating in the country through sales agreements with Indian hotels can expect some relief after the Delhi High Court ruled on January 30 that income paid by the Indian partner to its foreign counterpart is exempt from tax since it cannot be considered royalty or technical fees. The ruling in favour of US-based Sheraton International Inc was in response to an appeal filed by the Income Tax Department challenging the service agreement.
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