Japan’s Kubota to acquire 10% stake in Escorts for Rs 1,042 crore

Escorts and Kubota will partner and aim to become a leading player in the Indian market

20 Mar, 2020

New Delhi: Engineering conglomerate Escorts NSE 17.70 % Friday said Japan’s Kubota Corporation will acquire 10% equity stake engineering in the firm for Rs 1042 crore.

Upon completion of this transaction, Escorts and Kubota will partner and aim to become a leading player in the Indian market and a hub of product development, manufacturing, and sourcing for global markets.

Escorts will issue and allot 12,257,688 equity shares through a preferential issue to Kubota at an issue price of Rs 850 per equity share, subject to shareholders' and necessary regulatory approvals. Kubota's investment will constitute 9. 1% of the equity stake on a pre capital reduction or 10% on a post capital reduction basis for a total investment of Rs 10, 419, 034, 800. This price represents a premium of approx 48.21% over the last traded price on March 19, 2020.

The Board of Directors of Escorts has given in-principle approval to consider a reduction of 12,257,688 equity shares of Escorts held by the Escorts Benefit and Welfare Trust, subject to receipt of necessary approvals and upon completion of the preferential allotment to Kubota. This shall ensure that the total equity share capital of Escorts remains unchanged.

Simultaneously with the Preferential Issue, Escorts will acquire a 40% stake in Kubota Agricultural Machinery India Pvt. Ltd ("KAI'), the marketing and sales company of Kubota in India.
The existing 60:40 Joint Venture between Kubota and Escorts, namely Escorts Kubota India Private Limited ("EKl'J, will continue to operate.

JM Financial Ltd acted as an exclusive financial & transaction advisor to Escorts Ltd.

Nikhil Nanda, Chairman and Managing Director, Escorts, said, "This collaboration aims at leveraging R&D strengths of Kubota to offer cutting-edge products for domestic and export markets, serving customers in new markets and new product lines. With our manufacturing expertise and strong domestic distribution combined with collaboration with Kubota, we aim to reach our objective of becoming the market leader in farm mechanization, and address the food security challenge."

While Escorts expects to gain from product innovation through indigenization of global R&D, production systems excellence, global supply chain, sales, and distribution and act as a global sourcing hub for Kubota; the latter will be assured of a supply of cost-effective products in and for India, joint product development for emerging and global markets, and expansion of product range through respective distribution networks.

The duo is additionally expecting to tap into new avenues of growth in construction equipment and agriculture implements, leveraging strengths of both the parties, with a focus on products including earthmoving equipment & smart agriculture implements through the association.

"Escorts has a strong technology legacy and diversified portfolio in agriculture equipment solutions market and Kubota has proven global technology capabilities”, said Yuichi Kitao, President and Representative Director, Kubota, Japan, adding, “Through this collaboration, we believe that we will cater to India and other growing economies which require high-end technology and new age tractors to address growing demands of highly mechanized farming. Kubota and Escorts, together, with their leadership in respective geographies, will consolidate strengths and technology innovation excellence to emerge as a global leader.”

Japan’s Kubota Corporation specializes in agriculture, water, and living environment products and has a presence in over 100 countries.
Courtesy economictimes.indiatimes
 

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