Vodafone to sell partial stake in Indus Towers

Image
Capital Market
Last Updated : Feb 24 2022 | 10:04 AM IST
Vodafone Group Plc ("Vodafone") holds 757.8 million shares in Indus Towers ("Indus"), equivalent to a 28.1% shareholding. 190.7 million of these shares, equivalent to a 7.1% shareholding, are currently pledged to Indus (the "Primary Shares") as part of the security arrangements entered into between Vodafone and Indus (the "Security Arrangements") at the time of the merger of Indus Towers with Bharti Infratel.

Vodafone announces that it has launched a placing of 63.6 million Primary Shares in Indus through an accelerated book build offering (the "Placing"). This represents 2.4% of Indus' outstanding share capital.

Vodafone is also in advanced discussions with one of the largest shareholders in Indus for the purchase of up to 127.1m Indus shares from Vodafone, or 4.7% of Indus' outstanding share capital, which represents the remaining balance of Primary Shares. The terms of such an agreement are currently being discussed and there can be no certainty that the sale will proceed. Should the sale be completed, Vodafone would retain 567.2 million shares in Indus, or a 21.0% shareholding (the "Residual Shareholding").

In addition, Vodafone is also in discussions with several interested parties in relation to a potential sale of the Residual Shareholding. A further announcement will be made as soon as practicable if any further agreements are reached.

Vodafone and the Aditya Birla Group ("ABG"), the promoters of Vodafone Idea ("Vi"), are committed to support Vi in its efforts to strengthen its balance sheet. The first step in this process included the conversion of US$2.1bn of AGR and spectrum interest into equity, which will make the Indian Government the largest shareholder of Vi. Vodafone and ABG intend to contribute towards an issue of equity shares by Vi (a "Capital Raise") once the terms of such a Capital Raise have been evaluated and decided on by the Board of Directors of Vi.

Vodafone and Indus have modified the Security Arrangements in order to allow Vodafone to dispose of the pledged Primary Shares and use the proceeds to participate in an issue of new shares by Vi, referenced above. The modified terms will continue to provide security to Indus for an equivalent amount of payments by Vi under the Master Services Agreements. Any residual proceeds from the sale of the Primary Shares that are not used by Vodafone to subscribe for new shares in Vi will be available to Indus until 19 November 2022 to guarantee Vi's obligations under the Master Services Agreements.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 24 2022 | 9:21 AM IST

Next Story