Vedanta shareholders, creditors approve merger with Cairn India

Natural resources firm Vedanta ltd said on Friday that its shareholders, as well as both secured and unsecured creditors, have approved the company's merger with energy major Cairn India ltd.

"Court convened meeting of the equity shareholders, secured creditors and unsecured creditors of Vedanta ltd was held at Panaji (Goa) on Thursday, September 8, 2016, to seek their approval in the matter," Vedanta said in a stock exchange filing here.

"Of the members present and validly voting, 97.84 per cent in number, representing 99.99 per cent in value, voted in favour of the resolution approving the Scheme (of merger). Further, secured creditors and unsecured creditors of the Company, at their respective meetings, have also approved the Scheme with requisite majority," it said. 

"The public shareholders of the Company have approved the Scheme with requisite majority, that is, votes cast by the public shareholders in favour of the Scheme are more than the votes cast by the public shareholders against the Scheme. Thus, the scheme has been approved by a majority of the minority shareholders," it added. 

Vedanta said the merger is now subject to approval of the " jurisdictional High Courts, and other regulatory approvals."

On Tuesday, mining major Vedanta Resources had announced in london that its shareholders have approved the merger of group companies Vedanta ltd. and Cairn India.

"Vedanta Resources announces that at its general meeting held today (Tuesday), September 6, the resolution put to shareholders in relation to the proposed merger of Vedanta ltd and Cairn India was duly passed on a poll," the london-listed Vedanta Resources said in a stock exchange filing.

Cairn India has called a shareholders' meeting on September 12, to seek approval for the company's takeover by its parent under a revised all-share deal.

In the revised offer, the Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta group will give Cairn India minority shareholders one equity share and four redeemable-preference shares with a face value of Rs 10 each. The preference shares will carry a coupon of 7.5 per cent and a tenure of 18 months.

In July, Vedanta offered three additional preference shares towards winning over minority shareholders like state-run life Insurance Corp (lIC).

Energy firm Cairn India announced in July it was working to merge with its parent, Vedanta Resources at a time when key shareholder lIC is yet to give its assent to the merger.

"Your company continues to work towards completion of merger with Vedanta," Cairn India chairman Navin Agarwal told shareholders at the company's 10th annual general meeting in Mumbai.

"Your company will get access to Vedanta's tier-one metal and mining assets, which are well-invested, low cost and have a long life," he said.

Under the proposed merger, a Cairn India shareholder will get one Vedanta equity share and 7.5 preference shares for every Cairn India share.

lIC, as the single largest domestic minority shareholder, owns 9.06 per cent in Cairn India and 3.9 per cent stake in Vedanta.

Vedanta ltd. received approvals last September from both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the NSE on the company's proposal to merge with its hydrocarbons subsidiary Cairn India.

Merging Cairn India with itself would provide Vedanta access to the oil explorer's cash and help reduce its debt burden. Vedanta took majority control of Cairn India for $8.67 billion in 2011 and holds 59.9 percent in the latter through its various units.