Welspun Enterprises to buy 49% stake in NHAI projects from MBL

Infrastructure firm Welspun Enterprises Ltd (WEL) today announced acquisition of 49 per cent stake in two road projects of NHAI from MBL Group for Rs 23 crore. The company also said that its board has approved the proposal of its subsidiary – Welspun Financial Services Limited (WFSL)- to apply to RBI for NBFC licence. “WEL has agreed to acquire 49 per cent stake in two NHAI Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) projects from MBL Group, subject to necessary approvals and statutory compliances. WEL will be the sponsor to these two projects, thus expanding its HAM project portfolio to three projects,” WEL said in a BSE filing. The two projects are for four laning of Chutmalpur- Ganeshpur section of NH-72A & Roorkee-Chutmalpur-Gagalheri section of NH-73 and Gagalheri-Saharanpur-Yamunanagar (UP/Haryana Border) section of NH-73. “The consideration for the stake purchase is Rs 23 crore. The company has the option to acquire the remaining 51 per cent stake in these projects as and when the regulator (NHAI) permits. The consideration for the purchase of the remaining stake is fixed at Rs 24.5 crore,” it added. Bid project cost for the two projects is Rs 2,120 crore.

Moreover, the Board of Directors of WEL has approved the proposal of subsidiary WFSL to apply to RBI for NBFC licence. WEL will be holding 60 per cent stake in the subsidiary. The remaining 40 per cent will be held by the Welspun promoter group, it added.

Welspun Enterprises said its Board has given in-principle approval for maximum investment of up to Rs 350 crore in the venture, from the company’s cash reserve. Shares of Welspun Enterprises were trading 0.67 per cent lower at Rs 140.05 on BSE.

National Highways Authority of India