Reliance Industries Limited announces strategic investment in and partnership with Den Networks Limited and Hathway.
Mumbai: Reliance Industries Ltd., (RIL) has announced the strategic investments in leading MSO DEN and Hathway that involves a primary investment of Rs. 2,045 crore through a preferential issue under SEBI regulations and secondary purchase of Rs. 245 crore from the existing promoters for a 66% stake in Den Networks Limited (“DEN”) and primary investment of Rs. 2,940 crore through a preferential issue under SEBI regulations for a 51.3% stake in Hathway Cable and Datacom Limited (“Hathway”)
RIL would also make open offers in DEN and Hathway as well as for GTPL Hathway Limited, a company jointly controlled by Hathway with 37.3% stake and HathwayBhawaniCabletel and Datacomm Limited, a subsidiary of Hathway, as required under SEBI Takeover Regulations.
These strategic investments are in furtherance of Reliance’s mission of connecting everyone and everything, everywhere – always at the highest quality and the most affordable price and transforming India’s digital landscape. After having taken India to the top position in the mobile broadband space, Reliance is now committed to take India from a global rank of 135th to among the top-3 countries in the world on wireline digital connectivity.
According to RIL, these investments and partnerships will create a win-win outcome for the Local Cable Operators (“LCOs”), Consumers, Content providers and overall eco-system.
Through this transaction, Reliance and Jio will be strengthening the 27,000 LCOs that are aligned with DEN and Hathway to enable them to participate in the digital transformation of India through (a)access to superior back-end infrastructure; (b)tie-ups with content producers; (c) access to latest business platforms to improve business efficiencies and deliver customer experience; and (d) investment in digital infrastructure for connecting customers. And the LCOs will continue to do what they do best – provide localized, intimate, people-friendly and ultra-fast customer services. This will create multiple future opportunities for LCOs as Jio rolls out new services and platforms.
Reliance is committed to bringing similar infrastructure and connectivity for every Indian home, working with all participants in the eco-system including the large and entrepreneurial LCO, content producers and broadcasters.
Jio shall bring JioGigaFiber to more than 50 million homes across 1,100 Indian cities and towns, within the shortest possible time.
These investments and the creation of the digital eco-system will open up new channels for content monetization. This will lead to exponential growth for the content producers and broadcasters.
Jio has already started work on connecting 50 million homes across 1,100 cities. It will work together with Hathway and DEN and all the LCOs to offer a quick and affordable upgrade to a world-class lineup of JioGigaFiber and Jio Smart-Home Solutions to the 24 million existing cable connected homes of these companies across 750 cities. This will accelerate Jio’s commitment to connect 50 million homes with JioGigaFiber in the shortest possible time.
Mukesh D. Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director, RIL commented, “We are glad to join hands with ShriRajanRaheja and Shri Sameer Manchanda, two of the pioneers in the MSO industry. Our investments in DEN and Hathway create a win-win-win outcome for the LCOs, customers, content producers and the eco-system.
With Local Cable Operators now as part of the Jio ecosystem, we look forward to bringing Jio’s advanced JioGigaFiber and Smart Home Solutions to more Indian homes, even quicker. We look forward to welcoming other MSOs and LCOs to be part of this partnership. This will result in growing wireline data connectivity in India and making state-of-the-art high- speed affordable internet and digital services accessible to the widest population in the shortest possible time.”
Further details about the transaction are contained in the Public Announcement issued to the Stock Exchanges. The transactions are subject to customary regulatory and other approvals.
