Thursday, April 5, 2007

Standard Chartered may buy stake in sick pharmaco Morepen

A Standard Chartered Bank investment arm may acquire stake in the ailing pharma company Morepen Labs, after New York-based and Asia-focused private equity fund Avenue Asia walked out of the deal last week. As per the latest debt restructuring plan, Standard Chartered and the key promoter of Morepen, Sushil Suri, will infuse Rs. 100 crores each in a bid to revive the company. Avenue Asia had earlier committed to invest Rs. 150 crores in the company, before they walked out of the deal.

The company has informed the stock exchanges that it would issue 24.4 mn equity shares and 53.6 mn warrants. These warrants will be issued to the new investor and the promoter; both will have the rights to subscribe to the equity of the company. However, the company has not officially announced the new investor. The warrants will be issued at Rs. 20 per share.

Read The Economic Times article.

ICICI Bank re-jigs i-banking operations

India’s largest private sector bank ICICI Bank has restructured its investment banking division, giving it a ‘global’ appellation and new functional lines. The reason cited for the exercise has been the global opportunities emerging through Indian corporates, and the bank’s need to grow beyond trade finance and working capital to corporate advisory, deal origination and M&A funding. Investment banking provided roughly 30% of ICICI Bank’s profit of Rs. 2285 crores in the nine months to December 31, 2006.

The restructuring of i-banking operations has been as follows: Corporate Products & Investment Banking Group has been renamed as the Global Investment Banking Group (GIBG). ICICI Securities, the existing wholly-owned investment banking arm of ICICI Bank, will now focus only on equity markets and research. The investment banking business of I-Sec will shift to GIBG, while the retail equity brokerage part of ICICI Bank, called ICICIDirect.com, is now a part of ICICI Securities. GIBG will have three groups under it: Global Structured Finance & Advisory Group (GSFAG), Financial Institutions and Syndications Group (FISG) and International Syndications Group (ISG).

GSFAG will be responsible for banking products across India and all international markets. FISG will work with GSFAG and ISG for domestic syndication, and with the Balance Sheet Management Group for resource-raising and securitization. It will handle the needs of financial institution clients. For deals where the approving authority requires an amount of the facility to be sold-down or syndicated in the domestic market, the FISG will approve the terms of the facility. It will also originate deals for sell-downs directly, along with GSFAG. FISG will include the Capital Markets Division and the Global Custodial Services Group of the bank. ISG will work with GSFAG and FISG for all international syndications of corporate issuances for Indian as well as international clients. It will approve terms for sell-downs / syndications in the international market and also, along with GSFAG originate deals directly for the specific purpose of sell-downs.

Read the article in DNA Money.

Zensar Technologies forms JV with Japan-based EZA

IT and BPO solutions provider Zensar Technologies Limited is forming a joint venture with Tokyo-based IT firm EZA Limited to create Zensar Advanced Technologies to further strengthen its footprint in the emerging Japanese market. The transaction would involve the transfer of all EZA’s existing order book, employees, technology, and intellectual property to the newly formed joint venture.

EZA was incorporated in 1996 and had a turnover of $4.2 mn in 2006, and brings in over 10 years of strong industry experience in Japan. The company has over the years developed products in media server, digital appliances and security space. Its customers include NEC, Japan Railways and Unisys and other retail customers. Having gained technology and domain expertise pertaining to mobile terminals over the years, EZA is now focusing to enter the digital home appliances and security markets.

Read the article in Business Standard.

Saraswat Co-operative Bank planning to acquire 4 regional banks

After its successful merger with Mandvi Co-operative Bank in October 2006, Saraswat Co-operative Bank is eyeing four other banks to merge with by June 2007. The banks under consideration are Murgha Rajendra Co-operative Bank and Annasaheb Karale Bank based in Sangli, and the Nashik People Co-operative Bank and Kolhapur Janta Sahakari Bank based in Nashik and Kolhapur, respectively.

Saraswat has already signed a deal with Murgha Rajendra and Annasaheb Karale, whereas the due diligence is on for Nashik People and Kolhapur Janta Sahakari Bank. 11 branches each of Annasaheb Karale, Murgha Rajendra and Kolhapur Janta and 14 branches of Nashik People will be taken over. Saraswat Bank will absorb 200 employees from Murgha Rajendra and 160 employees from Annasaheb Karale.

Read the article from DNA Money.

Hindustan Lever sells Sangam Direct to Spinach promoter Wadhawan Food Retail

Unilever India Exports, a 100% subsidiary of Hindustan Lever, will sell is direct selling business Sangam Direct to Wadhawan Food Retail, for an undisclosed sum. Sangam Direct is a non-store home delivery retail business, while Wadhawan Food Retail operates the Spinach chain of food and grocery stores.

The Sangam business was conceptualized by Hindustan Lever in 2001 to experiment with the direct-to-consumer channel combining the twin benefits of convenience and value. The idea was to test market it in Mumbai under the brand Sangam Direct before taking a decision to extend it across the country. The decision for a larger roll-out was put on hold since Hindustan Lever felt it was not in its strategic interest to continue to be present in this format of organized retail.

Wadhawan Food Retail, is currently present in Mumbai through Spinach, which has about 23 outlets in the city. The Wadhawan Group has diversified business interests including Dewan Housing Finance Limited, a private sector housing finance company.

Read the Business Standard article.
Related Post:
Wadhawan Food Retail close to acquiring HLL’s Sangam Direct

Hershey forms JV with Godrej Foods; acquires 51% stake in latter

Renowned US-based chocolate maker Hershey has announced a joint venture with Godrej Beverages and Foods Limited, a subsidiary of diversified conglomerate Godrej Industries. The JV, named Godrej Hershey’s Foods and Beverages Limited, would manufacture and distribute confectionery, snacks and beverages across the country.

Under the deal, Hershey will acquire 51% stake in Godrej Beverages and Foods for $60 mn. The parent company Godrej Industries and Hershey will hold 43% in the new venture, and the remaining 6% will be held by JV CEO A Mahendran. Hershey is acquiring 40% from IL&FS which is exiting the venture. Hershey would license to Godrej Foods some of its trademark rights for $2 mn, in addition to royalty payments of less than 5% for domestic sales and 8% for exports. Hershey may also use the facilities of GBFL as a manufacturing base for the company in India. The new entity would get two of Godrej Foods’ existing manufacturing facilities at Mandideep and Chittur.

Read more in The Economic Times article.
Related Post:
Hershey to buy 51% stake in Godrej Beverages & Foods

Global Hospitals buys Chennai-based Sankara Hospital for Rs. 257 crores

Hyderabad-based Global Hospitals, part of Ravindranath GE Medical Associates, has acquired Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Hospital (formerly Tamilnad Hospital) in an all-cash deal, for Rs. 257 crores. The amount would be paid in tranches. The Chennai-based Sankara Hospital is spread over 46 acres and has 450 beds.

In July 2006, a division bench of the Madras High Court had permitted the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Charitable Trust to sell the Sankara Hospital. The trust, in its application to sell the hospital, said it could not run it and had become heavily indebted. Subsequently, corporates and healthcare majors, including the Murugappa Group, Satya Sai Hospitals of Chennai, Bangalore-based Shriram Properties, Kolkata-based Advanced Medical and Research Institute and Global Hospitals bid for the property. Global emerged winner by quoting Rs. 257 crores and assured that it would run the existing hospital, retain the employees and provide 50 free beds.

Global Hospitals plans to transform the Sankara Hospital into a ‘Health City’ by incorporating facilities like liver, kidney and a multi-organ transplant institute, a heart and lung institute, neurosciences, trauma, orthopedic and cancer institutes and providing alternative therapy in the next 5-10 years at an investment of around Rs. 750 crores. The acquirer also plans to construct service apartments, and subsequently, also increase the number of beds to 1000.

Read more in the Business Standard article.

Financial Technologies sells 1% in Dubai commodity bourse for $12.5 mn

Indian IT company and MCX promoter Financial Technologies has sold a 1% stake in its Middle East-based venture, the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX), to its partner, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC). The size of the deal is around $12.5 mn valuing the year-and-a-half old DGCX at $1.25 bn. Financial Technologies would now hold a 49% stake in DGCX.

DGCX is an electronic futures and options exchange which utilizes trading, clearing and settlement technology developed by Financial Technologies. The exchange lists futures contracts in gold, silver, currencies and fuel oil. It has recently announced the imminent launch of futures contracts in steel and options contracts on gold. DGCX has also foreshadowed the future listing of various agricultural, metal, and energy products.

Read the article in Business Standard.
Related Post:
MCX may divest stake to Dubai Multi Commodities Centre