Bharti Infratel IPO opens on Dec 11, aims to raise Rs 4,534 cr

Bharti Group's tower arm, Bharti Infratel, is looking at raising up to Rs 4,533.60 crore through its initial public offering (IPO), which would be launched next month. Bharti Group's first IPO in 10 years would be the biggest public issue since that of Coal India (CIL) two years back, when it raised Rs 15,475 crore.

The IPO comprising 18.89 crore equity shares will open on December 11 for retail investors in a price band of Rs 210-240 per share. The issue will close on December 14. At the upper end of the price band, Bharti Infratel would raise about Rs 4,533.60 crore, while at the lower end, it could end up with Rs 3,966.90 crore. For anchor investors, the issue will open on December 10.

Bharti Group's deputy CEO and MD Akhil Gupta said most of the proceeds would be committed to installing 4,813 new towers, upgrading and replacing existing ones as well as funding inorganic growth, both domestically as well as internationally.

Further, according to the company's filing with the stock exchange, out of the total proceeds it raises from the capital markets, it plans to infuse Rs 1,086 crore for setting up new towers, Rs 1,214 crore towards upgradation of half of its existing tower base of 33,000 towers and another Rs 640 crore towards green initiatives at 12,500 tower sites.

Infratel recorded a 36 per cent jump in its net profit at Rs 750 crore at the end of the 2011-12 against Rs 551 crore in the previous year. The revenue grew 11.2 per cent to touch Rs 9,597 crore at the end of the same period against Rs 8,625 crore the previous year.

The issue will constitute 10 per cent of the post-issue paid-up equity share capital of the company, the company said. Bharti Infratel has more than 33,000 mobile towers and holds a 42 per cent stake in Indus Towers, which has over 100,000 towers in India. FE

ALSO READ

Kelkar panel on natural gas pricing likely to endorse Rangarajan formula

DGCA scrutiny likely for airlines' levy on services

After lull, highway projects see aggressive bid offers

PM: Govt initiating more measures to attract investments