Vodafone exits Indus Towers, raises Rs 2,800 cr; clears Rs 890 cr dues

British telecom firm Vodafone has sold its entire stake in Indus Towers for Rs 2,800 crore, the telecom infrastructure firm said on Friday.

Vodafone has sold 7.92 crore or 3 per cent stake in Indus Towers and used Rs 890 crore from the proceeds to clear lenders dues, the company said in a regulatory filing.

“Vodafone Group Plc announces that it has successfully completed the placing of its remaining 79.2 million shares in Indus Towers Limited (“Indus”) representing 3.0 per cent of Indus’ outstanding share capital through an accelerated book build offering on 5 December 2024,” the filing said.

The company held 3 per cent stake through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, Omega Telecom Holdings Pvt Ltd and Usha Martin Telematics Limited.

“Residual proceeds of Rs 19.1 billion (USD 225 million) have been used to acquire 1.7 billion equity shares in Vodafone Idea Limited through a preferential allotment of shares (a “Capital Raise”), increasing Vodafone’s shareholding in Vi to 24.39 per cent (from 22.56 per cent),” it added.

Vodafone Idea has used the proceeds from this capital raise from Vodafone to pay outstanding Master Service Agreement dues to Indus.

“Following this, Vodafone’s obligations to Indus under the Security Arrangements have now been satisfied in full,” the filing said.

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IIP growth hits 6-month high of 5.2% in November on manufacturing boost

India’s industrial output, measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), reached a six-month high of 5.2 per cent in November 2024, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Friday. The factory output during the same month in 2023 saw a growth of 2.5 per cent. 

This also marks a significant improvement from the 3.5 per cent growth recorded in October 2024, indicating a positive trend in the country’s industrial activities. 

In May 2024, IIP growth rose to 5.9 per cent, before dropping to 4.2 per cent in June.

In the April-November period, the IIP registered a growth of 4.1 per cent, a decline from 6.5 per cent in the same period last year.

Manufacturing sector drives growth

The growth was driven by a strong performance in the manufacturing sector which saw notable increase of 5.8 per cent, up from 4.1 per cent in October. Within the sector, 18 out of 23 industry groups in the National Industrial Classification, recorded a positive growth in November 2024 compared to November 2023. Top three contributors included basic metals, electrical equipment, and non-metallic mineral products, respectively.  

The electricity sector also showed healthy growth, rising by 4.4 per cent in November 2024, up from 2 per cent the previous month. Meanwhile, the mining sector, while still positive, posted a more modest growth rate of 1.9 per cent, up from 0.9 per cent.

Release of the December 2024’s IIP will be on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, the ministry said.

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Vedanta Resources secures $300 million loan commitment for debt refinancing

Indian miner Vedanta’s parent on Friday said it has secured commitments from Barclays, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and Mashreq totaling $300 million in loan tenors of 3 years and 3 months. 

The proceeds will be used for refinancing some outstanding 2024 and 2026 bonds and for meeting other debt servicing obligations, Vedanta Resources said in an exchange filing. 

The company is looking to upsize the deal and is in advance discussions with other banks for additional loans of $200 million, it said. 

Rating agencies S&P Global and Moody’s upgraded Vedanta Resources last year. 

The London-based company has been shoring up its finances. 

In September 2024, Vedanta Resources raised $900 million in its first dollar bond issue in more than two years and later raised $800 million through another dollar bond issue in November to refinance some outstanding debt. 

“The loan arrangement enhances the group’s liquidity position,” Vedanta Resources said. 

Its net debt stood at $11.36 billion as of September 2024, down from $12.35 billion in March, according to a company presentation.

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