Securities And Exchange Board Of India - Subsection
Section 10(1) in Securities and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011
(1)The following acquisitions shall be exempt from the obligation to make an open offer under regulation 3 and regulation 4 subject to fulfillment of the conditions stipulated therefor,-(a)acquisition pursuant to inter se transfer of shares amongst qualifying persons, being,-(i)immediate relatives;(ii)persons named as promoters in the shareholding pattern filed by the target company in terms of the [listing regulations] [Substituted 'listing agreement' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/33, dated 11.9.2018 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011).] or these regulations for not less than three years prior to the proposed acquisition;(iii)a company, its subsidiaries, its holding company, other subsidiaries of such holding company, persons holding not less than fifty per cent of the equity shares of such company, other companies in which such persons hold not less than fifty per cent of the equity shares, and their subsidiaries subject to control over such qualifying persons being exclusively held by the same persons;[Explanation. - For the purpose of this sub-clause, the company shall include a body corporate, whether Indian or foreign.] [Inserted by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/33, dated 11.9.2018 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011).](iv)persons acting in concert for not less than three years prior to the proposed acquisition, and disclosed as such pursuant to filings under the [listing regulations] [Substituted 'listing agreement' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/33, dated 11.9.2018 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011).];(v)shareholders of a target company who have been persons acting in concert for a period of not less than three years prior to the proposed acquisition and are disclosed as such pursuant to filings under the [listing regulations] [Substituted 'listing agreement' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/33, dated 11.9.2018 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011).], and any company in which the entire equity share capital is owned by such shareholders in the same proportion as their holdings in the target company without any differential entitlement to exercise voting rights in such company:Provided that for purposes of availing of the exemption under this clause,-(i)If the shares of the target company are frequently traded, the acquisition price per share shall not be higher by more than twenty-five per cent of the volume-weighted average market price for a period of sixty trading days preceding the date of issuance of notice for the proposed inter se transfer under sub-regulation (5), as traded on the stock exchange where the maximum volume of trading in the shares of the target company are recorded during such period, and if the shares of the target company are infrequently traded, the acquisition price shall not be higher by more than twenty-five percent of the price determined in terms of clause (e) of sub-regulation (2) of regulation 8; and(ii)the transferor and the transferee shall have complied with applicable disclosure requirements set out in Chapter V.(b)acquisition in the ordinary course of business by,-(i)an underwriter registered with the Board by way of allotment pursuant to an underwriting agreement in terms of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2009;(ii)a stock broker registered with the Board on behalf of his client in exercise of lien over the shares purchased on behalf of the client under the bye-laws of the stock exchange where such stock broker is a member;(iii)a merchant banker registered with the Board or a nominated investor in the process of market making or subscription to the un-subscribed portion of issue in terms of Chapter XB of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2009;(iv)any person acquiring shares pursuant to a scheme of safety net in terms of regulation 44 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2009;(v)a merchant banker registered with the Board acting as a stabilising agent or by the promoter or pre-issue shareholder in terms of regulation 45 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2009;(vi)by a registered market-maker of a stock exchange in respect of shares for which he is the market maker during the course of market making;(vii)a Scheduled Commercial Bank, acting as an escrow agent; and(viii)invocation of pledge by Scheduled Commercial Banks or Public Financial Institutions as a pledgee.(c)acquisitions at subsequent stages, by an acquirer who has made a public announcement of an open offer for acquiring shares pursuant to an agreement of disinvestment, as contemplated in such agreement:Provided that,-(i)both the acquirer and the seller are the same at all the stages of acquisition; and(ii)full disclosures of all the subsequent stages of acquisition, if any, have been made in the public announcement of the open offer and in the letter of offer.(d)acquisition pursuant to a scheme,-(i)made under section 18 of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985 (1 of 1986) or any statutory modification or re-enactment thereto;(ii)of arrangement involving the target company as a transferor company or as a transferee company, or reconstruction of the target company, including amalgamation, merger or demerger, pursuant to an order of a court [or a tribunal] [Inserted by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2017-18/015, dated 14.8.2017 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011)] [***] [Omitted 'or a competent authority' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/06, dated 29.3.2019 (w.e.f. 29.9.2011).] under any law or regulation, Indian or foreign; or(iii)of arrangement not directly involving the target company as a transferor company or as a transferee company, or reconstruction not involving the target company's undertaking, including amalgamation, merger or demerger, pursuant to an order of a court [or a tribunal] [Inserted by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2017-18/015, dated 14.8.2017 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011)] [***] [Omitted 'or a competent authority' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/06, dated 29.3.2019 (w.e.f. 29.9.2011).] under any law or regulation, Indian or foreign, subject to,-(A)the component of cash and cash equivalents in the consideration paid being less than twenty-five per cent of the consideration paid under the scheme; and(B)where after implementation of the scheme of arrangement, persons directly or indirectly holding at least thirty-three per cent of the voting rights in the combined entity are the same as the persons who held the entire voting rights before the implementation of the scheme.(da)[ acquisition pursuant to a resolution plan approved under section 31 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (31 of 2016)] [Inserted by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2017-18/015, dated 14.8.2017 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011)].(e)acquisition pursuant to the provisions of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (54 of 2002);(f)acquisition pursuant to the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Delisting of Equity Shares) Regulations, 2009;(g)acquisition by way of transmission, succession or inheritance;(h)acquisition of voting rights or preference shares carrying voting rights arising out of the operation of [sub-section (2) of section 47 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013)] [Substituted 'sub-section (2) of section 87 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956)' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/33, dated 11.9.2018 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011).].(i)[ Acquisition of shares by the lenders pursuant to conversion of their debt as part of a debt restructuring [***] [Substituted by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2017-18/015, dated 14.8.2017 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011)] implemented in accordance with the guidelines specified by the Reserve Bank of India:[Provided that the conditions specified under sub-regulation (6) of regulation 158 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018 are complied with.] [Substituted by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/06, dated 29.3.2019 (w.e.f. 29.9.2011).]][Explanation. - For the purpose of this clause, "lenders" shall mean all scheduled commercial banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) and All India Financial Institutions.] [Inserted by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/06, dated 29.3.2019 (w.e.f. 29.9.2011).][***] [Omitted '(ia)' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/06, dated 29.3.2019 (w.e.f. 29.9.2011).](a)the guidelines for determining the purchase price have been specified by the Reserve Bank of India and that the purchase price has been determined in accordance with such guidelines;(b)the purchase price shall be certified by two independent qualified valuers, and for this purpose 'valuer' shall be a person who is registered under section 247 of the Companies Act, 2013 and the relevant Rules framed thereunder:Provided that till such date on which section 247 of the Companies Act, 2013 and the relevant Rules come into force, valuer shall mean an independent merchant banker registered with the Board or an independent chartered accountant in practice having a minimum experience of ten years;(c)the specified securities so purchased shall be locked-in for a period of at least three years from the date of purchase;(d)the lock-in of equity shares acquired pursuant to conversion of convertible securities purchased from the lenders shall be reduced to the extent the convertible securities have already been locked-in;(e)a special resolution has been passed by shareholders of the issuer before the purchase;(f)the issuer shall, in addition to the disclosures required under the Companies Act, 2013 or any other applicable law, disclose the following information pertaining to the proposed acquirer(s) in the explanatory statement to the notice for the general meeting proposed for passing special resolution as stipulated at clause (e) of this sub-regulation:a. the identity including of the natural persons who are the ultimate beneficial owners of the shares proposed to be purchased and/ or who ultimately control the proposed acquirer(s);b. the business model;c. a statement on growth of business over the period of time;d. summary of audited financials of previous three financial years;e. track record in turning around companies, if any;f. the proposed road map for effecting turnaround of the issuer.(g)applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 are complied with].(j)[ increase in voting rights arising out of the operation of sub-section (1) of section 106 of the Companies Act, 2013 or pursuant to a forfeiture of shares by the target company, undertaken in compliance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and its articles of association.] [Inserted by the SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2015, w.e.f. 22-12-2015.][***]. [Omitted '(2)' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/06, dated 29.3.2019 (w.e.f. 29.9.2011).]
