
Partners Group to acquire majority stake in Infinity Fincorp for Rs 1,950 crore
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Swiss private equity firm Partners Group will acquire a majority stake in Infinity Fincorp Solutions, a Mumbai-based non-bank lender focused on MSMEs, through an investment of Rs 1,950 crore (around $230 million), the companies said on Wednesday.The deal, which includes participation from existing shareholder Jungle Ventures, comprises a primary infusion of Rs 600 crore ($70 million) and a secondary purchase of shares from Indium IV (Mauritius) Holdings and other shareholders. ET first reported on the potential transaction on June 20.'Infinity Fincorp Solutions, a leading non-bank lender in India, has entered into a share purchase and subscription agreement with Partners Group, whereby Partners Group will acquire a significant majority stake in the company,' said the joint statement issued by the two companies on Thursday.Infinity Fincorp plans to use the fresh capital to expand its branch network, invest in technology, and improve customer onboarding and experience. The investment is subject to regulatory approvals.'We are dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and business owners across Tier 3 towns in India through flexible, need-based lending solutions that are designed to create a long-term impact,' said Shrikant Ravalkar, founder, managing director and CEO of Infinity Fincorp. 'We welcome Partners Group and intend on leveraging their operational expertise to further broad base our mission of serving the Indian MSME sector.'Founded in 2017, Infinity Fincorp provides secured loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises , primarily in tier II and tier III cities. The company has more than Rs 1,200 crore ($140 million) in assets under management, around 50,000 customers, and operates over 120 branches across eight states. Its customer base spans sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and trading."The MSME segment contributes a significant share of national GDP, and we expect demand for credit will continue to rise. We believe non-bank lenders such as Infinity have advantages in catering to these enterprises due to their highly specialised operations, which are better suited to providing customised solutions,' said Vageesh Gupta, managing director, private equity, Partners Group.According to Tracxn, Infinity Fincorp posted a net profit of Rs 25.72 crore in FY24, on revenue of Rs 143.7 crore.The latest funding comes after Infinity Fincorp raised $40 million in an extended Series A round in April that was led by Beams Fintech Fund, with participation from True North, Jungle Ventures, and Archerman Capital. In January, the company had raised $35 million from Jungle Ventures, Archerman Capital, and Magnifico.Partners Group, which manages over $150 billion in assets globally, has previously invested in Indian companies such as Darwinbox, Ecom Express, and Vishal Mega Mart . In April, the firm exited Ecom Express by selling its stake to Delhivery in an all-cash deal worth Rs 1,407 crore, alongside co-investors Warburg Pincus and British International Investment. The firm has deployed $2.5 billion in India to date.
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Indian Express
12 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump 2.0 is upending US ties. De-coupling may be hard – de-risking is necessary
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The idea of 'strategic autonomy', long central to India's foreign policy, has been viewed with scepticism by India's Western partners. They have argued that India's near obsession with autonomy limits the scope for strategic cooperation with the US and Europe. But today, 'strategic autonomy' has become the new mantra among America's allies themselves. In his address to the British Parliament last week, French President Emmanuel Macron reflected on the implications of the unprecedented disruption unleashed by President Trump's second term. He underlined the need for deeper Franco-British cooperation to reduce what he called the 'dual dependency' on the US and China. Macron warned against Europe's excessive reliance on the two superpowers for economic, technological, and security needs, and emphasised the urgency of reclaiming European strategic autonomy. He called for stronger Franco-British collaboration on defence, climate action, migration and technological innovation, suggesting that only through unity can Europe effectively respond to global challenges and safeguard its interests. Although America's European allies bent over backwards to placate 'daddy' Trump at the NATO summit last month, they are shocked by the Trump administration's policies. If there were any lingering doubts, Trump dispelled them over the weekend by imposing a 30 per cent tariff on imports from the European Union, shattering hopes for compromise on trade. Trump has long regarded the EU as a bigger economic threat than China but few anticipated that transatlantic ties would deteriorate so sharply in his second term. Britain's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, may lack the rhetorical flair of his French counterpart but he, too, is seeking to rebalance the 'special relationship' with the US against the geographic imperative of Europe. 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Unlike in Europe, regional institutions remain underdeveloped, and the gap between China's power and that of its neighbours is vast. Yet, the logic of diversification is undeniable. We are already seeing Asian allies doing more with each other and engaging other actors, such as the EU. Some are beginning to reassess their engagement with China. At the same time, the depth of the US relationship is such that preventing a slide into outright rupture remains a top priority for allies in both Asia and Europe. As Macron told the British Parliament, Europe does not want to walk away from the US — but it must 'de-risk' ties by finding new partners and rebuilding its own capacities. India, for its part, is holding its nerve and continuing to engage Washington. As Delhi weighs the consequences of the Trump upheaval for Eurasia and the global order, it is worth recalling that India has managed many strategic surprises before: The Chinese 'betrayal' in 1962, Beijing's embrace of Pakistan, the Sino-Soviet split, the US-China entente in the 1970s, the Soviet collapse in 1991, the rise of a new economic order in the 1990s, and the Russia-China alignment in the 2000s. If external change is inevitable, Delhi's focus must be on managing it rather than bemoaning it. For now, India remains one of the few major US trade partners not yet notified of a new tariff level. Delhi has resumed trade talks with Washington this week and is eager to conclude one of its most ambitious negotiations before the August 1 deadline. But it must be prepared for failure. As Trump might remind us, the golden rule of any negotiation is the will to walk away. The writer is distinguished fellow at the Council for Strategic and Defence Research, Delhi, and contributing editor on international affairs for The Indian Express


Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Hindustan Zinc: Fundamentals intact, but is the stock worth the risk?
A flurry of developments at Vedanta Group's crown jewel, Hindustan Zinc, has left investors and analysts divided. Over the past 16 months, this traditionally low-volatility stock has seen a rollercoaster ride. On the global front, Trump tariffs and geopolitical tensions have increased silver and zinc prices. On the domestic front, infrastructure development has boosted demand for zinc. On the operations front, the company is firing all smelters, running at 93% capacity, and breaking production records. Hindustan Zinc reported its second-highest revenue and net profit in FY25, following a record year in FY23. Despite this, its stock price has dipped 46% from its all-time high of Rs 807.70 on 22 May 2024. The stock underperformed the Nifty Metal Index, rising 132% in 5 years as against the 347% rally in the Index. 5-Year Stock Price Momentum of Hindustan Zinc and Nifty Metal Index Hindustan Zinc is among the top five silver producers in the world, and the only company that produces silver from primary sources. But its stock reported tepid growth even when silver prices reached a new lifetime high of over Rs 1.15 lakh per kg on July 14. What is preventing the stock from rallying? At the heart of investors' concerns is Hindustan Zinc's ownership structure. UK-based Vedanta Resources (VRL) holds a 56.38% stake in Vedanta Ltd (VDL). VDL holds a 63.42% stake in Hindustan Zinc. VRL has been deleveraging its balance sheet, which accumulated debt over the years from several failed acquisitions. Hindustan Zinc became the crown jewel of VDL as it was debt-free and had strong cash reserves. 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But this reduced the company's capacity to self-fund expansion. Hindustan Zinc had to borrow money to meet its capital expenditure requirements. FY23 dividend converted the net cash company into a net debt company. While its debt-to-equity ratio remains below 1.0, the loss of reserves has weakened its balance sheet. Significant debt is a concern for metals and mining companies. They sell their output on the commodity prices, which are determined by market forces. They can only control the cost of production (CoP). Keeping debt low helps the company sustain a period of low prices and stay profitable. So far, Hindustan Zinc's debt is sustainable as the high price of zinc and silver and low CoP have increased the company's profits and operating cash flow. However, Hindustan Zinc's share price has declined, at least partly, due to a decrease in equity reserves over the last three years. Hindustan Zinc's Book Value Per Share From August 2020 to April 2025 Hindustan Zinc's promoters have been offloading stake after halving the reserve. Amidst this, Hindustan Zinc CEO Arun Misra's proposal to demerge the zinc and silver business was rejected by the Ministry of Mines. Misra, however, believes that demerging the precious metals segment will be value accretive, as Hindustan Zinc is India's only listed silver producer. This restructuring and reduction of reserves have limited the stock's upside potential. Hindustan Zinc is the second-largest integrated zinc manufacturer in the world. It has one of the lowest CoP at $1,055 per tonne (in FY25). As commodities are bought and sold in dollars, a strengthening of the dollar increases rupee cash flow. All three factors — higher commodity prices, depreciating rupee, and lower CoP — were in Hindustan Zinc's favour, which helped it report an Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) margin of 51% in FY25. Factors Affecting Hindustan Zinc's EBITDA Its revenue surged 18%, EBITDA 28%, and profit after tax 33% in FY25. It reported its second-highest free cash flow before capital expenditure (capex) of Rs 13,784 crore. Hindustan Zinc is growing its production by 3-4% annually through operational improvements, which it believes could generate Rs 50,000 crore free cash flow pre-capex in five years. It now aims to double its production capacity from 1.13 million tons per annum (mmtpa) to 2 mmtpa in the long term as steel demand increases. It announced the first phase of this expansion, under which it will add 250,000 mtpa capacity over the next three years. Hindustan Zinc is basing its expansion on India's ambitious plan to achieve 300 mmtpa of steel production in the next 2-3 years. It expects the phase 1 expansion of Rs 12,000 crore to generate Rs 40,000 crore revenue and Rs 21,000 crore EBITDA. Hindustan Zinc's Earnings Expectations from Phase 1 Expansion Source: Hindustan Zinc Q4FY25 earnings With a Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) of 58%, growth capex should be welcome news. Capacity expansion could lead to higher EBITDA and free cash flow, helping it service debt and rebuild equity reserves, thereby increasing its enterprise value. The capacity expansion is projected to increase Hindustan Zinc's capacity to produce silver. At 1.2 mmtpa, the company produces 750 tons of silver. If the company reaches 2 mmtpa capacity, it could produce 1,200-1,300 tons of silver. The company is also implementing innovative technology at one smelter, which, if successful, could recover an additional 27 mtpa of silver and 6,000 mtpa of lead from the smelter waste without burning. The increasing mix of precious metals could help the company boost profits. These long-term growth drivers are being offset by short-term uncertainty around dividend policies and the parent company's demerger and deleveraging. Analysts have mixed ratings on Hindustan Zinc. JM Financial is bullish on Hindustan Zinc for its low CoP, high-grade, long-life captive mines, and its ability to scale. Even Motilal Oswal is optimistic about the zinc producer's expansion plans, but believes that the market has already priced in the positives. Analyst Ratings on Hindustan Zinc Source: Brokerage Reports Nuvama has a 'Reduce' call on Hindustan Zinc. It stated that expansion will facilitate long-term growth, but commodity prices could affect near-term earnings, making the stock's valuation expensive till then. The miner's valuation is determined by enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA). While the capacity expansion and cost efficiencies are growing its EBITDA, high dividend payouts, which result in lower cash, and therefore higher debt, are potentially impacting overall valuations. The company's current EV/EBITDA is 10.7x, higher than its 5-year median of 9.0x, and double that of Vedanta's 5.65x. Adding to the volatility, US-based Viceroy Research took a short position against VRL's debt, alleging that the Vedanta Group is on the 'brink of insolvency.' Vedanta Group has denied the claims, calling them a 'malicious combination of selective misinformation and baseless allegations to discredit the group'. This controversy could keep Hindustan Zinc's share price volatile in the short term. However, Hindustan Zinc's strategic capital discipline, strong fundamentals, leaner cost base, and leadership in the fourth most widely used metal (zinc) make it a resilient stock that could continue paying dividends. Note: We have relied on data from throughout this article. Only in cases where the data was not available, have we used an alternate, but widely used and accepted source of information. Puja Tayal is a financial writer with over 17 years of experience in the field of fundamental research. Disclosure: The writer and his dependents do not hold the stocks discussed in this article. The website managers, its employee(s), and contributors/writers/authors of articles have or may have an outstanding buy or sell position or holding in the securities, options on securities or other related investments of issuers and/or companies discussed therein. The content of the articles and the interpretation of data are solely the personal views of the contributors/ writers/authors. Investors must make their own investment decisions based on their specific objectives, resources and only after consulting such independent advisors as may be necessary.
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First Post
28 minutes ago
- First Post
FirstUp: India's chief negotiator joins India-US trade talks in Washington, and other news today
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The project symbolized European cooperation and ambition, as it was a joint venture between France and Italy. Mamata Banerjee to lead protest in Kolkata against targeting of migrants Responding to what the Trinamool Congress calls 'continued targeting' of migrants from West Bengal in BJP-governed states, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will lead a protest rally in Kolkata today. The rally is scheduled to begin at 1 pm from College Square and culminate at Dorina Crossing in central Kolkata. It is a strong assertion of ' Bengali pride" by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The protest comes amidst a series of incidents where Bengali-speaking individuals have reportedly faced discrimination, detention and even deportation attempts, with allegations of being labelled as 'Bangladeshis.' With inputs from agencies