Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma to Buy 10.3 Percent Stake in Firm From Antfin

Paytm Chairman Vijay Shekhar Sharma will purchase a ten.3 % stake value $628 million (roughly Rs. 5,195 crore) within the agency he based from an arm of Chinese fintech large Ant Financial in a deal that may make him its single largest shareholder.

The transfer comes as Sharma, who can also be Paytm’s chief government, seems to be to simplify its possession construction amid broader considerations about Chinese possession in Indian monetary expertise firms, analysts stated.

Sharma will now be the most important shareholder within the digital funds agency with a holding of 19.42 %.

“The government and RBI both were concerned about Chinese stakes in Indian fintechs, so the point was to reduce the stake of the Chinese companies in Paytm,” stated a Mumbai-based analyst with a home brokerage. They didn’t wish to be named as they aren’t authorised to speak to media.

The stake that Sharma is shopping for from Antfin (Netherlands) Holding B.V. is valued at $628 million based mostly on Paytm’s final closing value and can cut back the Chinese agency’s possession within the agency to 13.5 %.

An entity belonging to Sharma will situation convertible debentures to Antfin as a substitute of paying money for the stake.

“No cash payment will be made for this acquisition, and neither will any pledge, guarantee, or other value assurance be provided by Mr Sharma, directly or otherwise,” Paytm stated in a press release on Monday.

The firm stated there could be no change within the administration or management of Paytm.

Antfin’s selldown comes after China’s Alibaba offered its total stake in Paytm in February. Japan’s Softbank Group has additionally been reducing its stake in Paytm by open market offers, with its holding right down to 9.18 % after its newest deal.

Shares of Paytm rose as a lot as 11.4 % on Monday after the announcement and have gained greater than 50 % to date this 12 months.

Despite the share value leap, as of the final shut the corporate’s shares had been nonetheless 60 % under their itemizing value in November 2021, amid doubts about its enterprise mannequin and wider considerations about lofty valuations on loss-making tech companies.

Last November, the Reserve Bank of India rejected Paytm’s fee aggregator’s license utility, nevertheless it gave the corporate an extension in March to re-apply for the license.

© Thomson Reuters 2023


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