Jet-Etihad deal gets conditional nod from FIPB

Jet Airways today won conditional nod to sell 24 per cent stake to Etihad Airways for Rs 2,058 crore after the Abu Dhabi-based carrier made significant concessions diluting its control.
"We have approved (the Jet-Etihad deal) with some conditions," Economic Affairs Secretary Arvind Mayaram told reporters after a meeting of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
The conditions include Jet seeking prior Government of India approval for any changes in the Share Holders Agreement (SHA) with Etihad as also for any change in shareholding in the company.
Also, all shareholder disputes and disputes under SHA would have to be adjudicated under Indian law as opposed to English law as proposed in the revised SHA submitted just before the FIPB meeting. Any other arbitration can happen under English law.

Besides agreeing to these changes, Jet-Etihad will have to submit new Articles of Association before the deal is put before Finance Minister P Chidambaram for approval and then to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
Jet will need government approvals for any future change in shareholding agreement, a source privy to the deliberations at the FIPB meeting said.

The deal won regulatory nod after a revised shareholder agreement decreased Etihad's presence on the board of Jet, addressing concerns that Etihad appeared to be taking control of the Indian airline.
Etihad will now take two seats on the 12-member board instead of three previously proposed. The Indian partner, Naresh Goyal, besides appointing four board members, will have the right to nominate the chairman, whereas Etihad will appoint a vice chairman.

Ahead of the FIPB meeting, Jet dropped a clause from its earlier application of shifting revenue management to Abu Dhabi. Etihad agreed to vest Goyal, the founder chairman of Jet, with the right to deliver a "casting vote on any matter".