The Financial Times reported that Ambani hopes to be a major shareholder in RCom and MTN after the firms combine in a reverse takeover. Ambani would pay an extra $4 to $5 billion in cash to bring his stake in MTN to his target level of 34.9 per cent, the ceiling beyond which he would be forced to make a general offer for MTN, the newspaper said in an article published in its online edition.
Tata Steel and Anil Ambani-led& Reliance Communications raised $1.375 billion through overseas borrowings and convertible bonds in September, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India. Tata Steel, which early this year acquired Anglo-Dutch firm Corus to become the sixth-largest maker of the alloy, raised $875 million for overseas acquisition through foreign currency convertible bonds.
The move will help the utility to charge more from its 2.6 million users in Mumbai. Reliance Infrastructure (Rel Infra) had asked asked the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission for a 4.19 per cent rise in its annual revenue requirement. It was instead granted an increase of 10 per cent. Mumbai and its suburbs are serviced by Tata Power, Brihanmumbai Electricity & Suburban Transport and Reliance Energy.
Anil Ambani Group firm Reliance Capital has initiated the process of divesting up to 26 per cent stake in its life insurance subsidiary and is mulling options like bringing in a strategic foreign investor and an initial public offer. The company, which has been going solo so far, has decided on this divestment at this point of time because it will give a better shareholder value, besides sentiments in the market is also looking bright.
A bench headed by Justice C K Thakker while seeking reply from Tata Power and Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission asked Tata Power Company not to take coercive measures against Reliance till the next date of hearing in July. Reliance has challenged the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity's order dated May 12, 2008 which ruled that TPC was entitled to recover charges for energy supplied to REL at the rate of Rs 2.09 per unit.
Justice A P Deshpande, who is hearing the petition by Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Transport and Travels Ltd staking claim over a lease of land for hangar, adjourned the hearing after its counsel sought time to inspect the documents on the lease agreement entered between Reliance Industries and Airport Authority of India. "We want to inspect the correspondence by RIL and file a rejoinder," advocate for RTTL Cyrus Bharucha told the court.
A possible merger of Reliance Communications of India and South Africa's MTN could see Anil Ambani become the enlarged group's chairman and biggest shareholder with a stake of almost 35 per cent.
The Department of Telecommunications has called a meeting of the heads of all leading telecom companies offering GSM technology services on November 21 to resolve contentious issues that have arisen following recent changes in telecom policy.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications said on Tuesday the government's move to introduce mobile number portability would help GSM players Aircel, Idea and Spice as they enter new circles. The government had on Monday announced that the mobile number portability, under which users would be able to switch operators while retaining their existing cell phone numbers, would be allowed by next year.