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Terra Motors launches electric auto to boost presence in L5-EV segment
Electric vehicle maker Terra Motors on Tuesday expanded its electric vehicle range in the country as it looks to strengthen its presence in the country.
The Japanese firm, which introduced the electric three-wheeler KYORO+ to cater to the passenger segment, already has a sizable presence in electric rickshaws (L3) in India having sold over 1.5 lakh units so far.
With the new model, the company aims to bolster its position in the electric three-wheeler segment (L5).
Terra Motors India Managing Director Go Suzuki said the company aims to garner around 5-8 per cent market share in the segment which sees sales of around 1.5-1.6 lakh units per annum.
The company also has ambitious plans to scale up the sales network and production capacity in the country, he noted.
"We aim to establish 100 dealerships across the country and scale up production capacity of the electric auto-rickshaws to around 5,000 units per month," Suzuki said.
The company currently has a manufacturing capacity of around 5,000-10,000 units (L5) per year at its Manesar-based plant.
It also produces around 3,000 units of electric rickshaws at the facility.
"At Terra, we've been shaping the future of clean mobility with our e-rickshaws. Now, with the launch of our Electric Auto (L5), we're redefining transport on India's roads," Suzuki said.
Terra Motors Founder & CEO Toru Tokushige said India represents the company's strongest commitment globally.
"At Terra, we aim to lead the market through continuous innovation, with a clear goal -- to become No.1 in shaping the future of electric mobility," he added.
Terra Motors also operates Terra Charge, a dedicated EV charging infrastructure division, in the country.
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The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Is SMBC's Yes Bank Investment a Game-Changer for Indian Banking Policy?
Published : Jun 04, 2025 19:05 IST - 5 MINS READ India's banking sector appears poised for a structural shift, entering a new era after one defined by the rise of 'new' private banks such as Global Trust Bank and Yes Bank. In what could prove to be a new milestone, Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), the country's second-largest banking group with assets valued at $2 trillion in December 2024, is acquiring a 20 per cent stake in Yes Bank for Rs.13,482 crore bypurchasing shares from the State Bank of India (SBI) and seven other private banks. These banks were persuaded to buy into Yes Bank's equity in 2020as part of a government-coordinated rescue effort, undertaken when the bank was on the verge of collapse. Fearing that the failure of the bank would expose the shortcomings of its policy of banking liberalisation, the government had 'arranged' that capital infusion. It may have been the understanding among the acquiring firms that once Yes Bank has stabilised itself, they could exit. But what is noteworthy about the share sale to SMBC is that it does notinvolve divesting all of the Yes Bank holding of the seven banks that acquired stakes at the time of the 2020 restructuring. The acquisition by the Japanese bank gives it a 20 per cent stake in Yes Bank. The combined stake of SBI and the seven private banks prior to this sale was 33.71 per cent. That leaves SBI with a holding of 10.78 per cent and the rest with a 2.93 per cent stake. According to reports, it was SMBC that chose to restrict its purchase to 20 per cent, and the seven banks decided to divest their equivalent stake on a pro rata basis. Since the government was responsible for the earlier acquisition, there is reason to suspect that it is involved in arranging this stake sale too. Also Read | Co-lending: Another bonanza for private capital SMBC's decision seems puzzling on the surface. Twenty per cent is by no means a small, purely financial acquisition. Yet, it does not give the acquirer control over the operations of the bank. This is partly because of the policy restraints imposed on foreign ownership in joint venture banks. While the regulatory regime has placed the cap on aggregate foreign investment in joint venture banking firms at 74 per cent, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) currently requires holding by a single foreign investor to be limited to 15 per cent, with additional acquisitions possible only with the central bank's permission. Obtaining such permission, however, cannot ensure majority control, because of a 26 per cent cap on ownership by a single foreign investor. If a single foreign investor's holding exceeded that level, that share must be brought down to 26 per cent in 15 years. Finally, even when shareholders held stakes above 26 per cent individually, their voting rights were capped at 26 per cent. The aim of these regulations was to ensure a diversified shareholding structure in joint venture banks. Given that background, SMBC's 20 per cent acquisition appears unusual. If its intention is to increase its influence by raising its stake to the 26 per cent single-investor cap, it would, under Securities and Exchange Board of India regulations, be required to make an open offer to acquire an additional 25 per cent from other shareholders. That could take SMBC's stake to 51 per cent. Choosing to do so does not make sense, since voting rights are limited to 26 per cent. And it would in time have to unwind the excess shareholding. The only way to make sense of the SMBC decision is to see it as a first step in a process that would lead to Yes Bank being folded into a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese bank. RBI rules do allow foreign banks to enter the Indian banking space by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary. In fact, sections of the media have reported that SMBC is likely to approach the RBI for a licence to operate a fully owned subsidiary in India. This move also seems to have been based on information of an impending change in the stance of the RBI regarding its policy with respect to foreign investment in banks. A couple of weeks after SMBC's decision to acquire a 20 per cent stake in Yes Bank was announced, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra revealed, in an interview to the Times of India, that the central bank is revisiting shareholding norms and licensing rules for foreign investment in banks. That could lead to a relaxation of the requirements or eligibility conditions that need to be met by potential foreign investors in the banking space. This appears to have sparked interest among other foreign banks in entering the Indian banking sector. For instance, Emirates NBD Bank—rumoured to be the leading contender to acquire a stake in the soon-to-be-privatised IDBI Bank—recently received in-principle approval from the RBI to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in India. This suggests that the IDBI acquisition is intended to jump-start the operations of the wholly owned subsidiary. Meanwhile, other players are already poised to enter the market—Singaporean DBS Group, for instance, received a licence in 2019 to operate in India through a wholly owned subsidiary. Also Read | Importing risk into insurance But that is not all, theshareholding structure of private banks suggests that substantial equity stakes are being held by minority stakeholders who may not be averse to giving up their shares for a suitable price. This includes foreign financial investors who would be looking for a profitable exit. As of 2024, non-resident holding in 19 joint venture private banks varied from 8.8 per cent to 61.9 per cent, with five recording a more than 50 per cent foreign stake. That presence can easily transform into a single-investor majority and subsequent wholly owned subsidiary status, through the acquisition of shares from both domestic and foreign shareholders. Thus, with the RBI contemplating relaxation of its foreign investment policy and rules, Indian banking seems poised for a huge increase in foreign ownership and control. C.P. Chandrasekhar taught for more than three decades at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, US.


Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Mizuho to acquire Avendus from KKR at $700 million valuation
iStock The deal will mark the biggest investment by Mizuho in India. Mumbai: Mizuho Financial Group is set to acquire KKR-backed Avendus Capital, valuing the homegrown investment bank at Rs 6,000 crore ($700 million), ending months of protracted negotiations with several twists and turns, said people aware of the matter. Mizuho Group CEO Masahiro Kihara is scheduled to visit the country later this week for official engagements and a formal announcement is due at that time, they said. Kihara is also director of Mizuho Financial Group Inc. Mizuho and KKR, along with the senior leadership of Avendus, agreed on final deal terms in the last few days, even as private equity group Caryle, the only other serious contender in the fray, was circling the deal will mark the biggest investment by Mizuho in India, underscoring the increased strategic interest of Japanese financial groups in the month, SMBC picked up a strategic stake in private sector lender Yes Bank. The transaction will include KKR exiting its entire 60% stake along with some of its earlier, high-net-worth individual investors and Ranu Vohra, as well as small shareholders, including local PE firm Gaja Capital. Vohra is one of the three founders of Avendus. Once completed, the transaction is likely to see the Japanese mega bank owning up to 70% of the investment 2015, KKR paid Rs 950-1,000 crore to pick up a controlling stake in Avendus Capital Pvt Ltd (ACPL) from Eastgate Capital Group Ltd and Americorp Ventures, early investors in Avendus via Singapore-based Red Point Investments Pte Ltd. The firm was founded in 1999 by three friends — Vohra, Kaushal Aggarwal and Gaurav Deepak. Other than Vohra, the other two are likely to remain invested and continue to run the company, retaining full operational control, though Mizuho will have veto of the hottest domestic deal shops in the country, Avendus operates in the financial services space through subsidiaries in financial advisory, capital markets, wholesale financing through Avendus Finance, wealth management and alternative asset management. The acquisition of Spark in 2022 led to the addition of institutional equities to the offerings. Avendus is present in 10 cities in India, the US and Singapore. A little over half of its profits before tax in the first nine months of 2025 came from the investment banking division, followed by credit solutions and institutional equities. ACPL posted a total consolidated income of Rs 1,035 crore and net profit of Rs 170 crore for the nine months to December 2024, against Rs 1,012 crore and Rs 118 crore, respectively, in exit, KKR is expected to make a blended 3.5x return in rupee terms over a nine-year and Avendus declined to comment. Mizuho India country co-head Piyush Aggarwal did not respond to ET's the past year, several PE funds and family offices had evinced interest in acquiring the business, including TPG Capital, TA Associates and Azim Premji family office PremjiInvest. Even Nomura, originally chosen to manage the stake sale process, threw its hat in the ring but eventually only Mizuho and Carlyle were left to compete. The mandate subsequently moved to Rothschild. 'There is a small difference in the valuation between the two but Mizuho brings a far larger strategic play and adds heft in cross-border transactions,' said an executive in the several investors, the inherent cyclicality associated with the investment banking business was a challenge. The acquisition of Spark has supported profitability through its equity capital market (ECM) products.'While the group reported strong performance in investment banking in fiscals 2022 and 2023, it was impacted in fiscal 2024 with extended deal completion timelines,' said a March Crisil credit report. 'There was some revival in fiscal 2025 with the nine-month revenue from IB (investment banking) surpassing the full fiscal 2024 revenue… The ongoing diversification in business should support profitability over the medium term.'One of Japan's largest financial institutions, Mizuho bought boutique investment bank Greenhill & Co in a $550 million deal in 2023, betting that the struggling group could help kickstart its ambitions in the US. The third-largest Japanese lender said it aims to sell 'strategic' shareholdings — stocks held to cement ties with corporate clients — worth at least ¥350 billion over the next three years through March 2028 amid the slump in long-dated Japanese Bank, the banking subsidiary of Mizuho Financial Group Inc, has had a presence in India for over 25 years, with five branches catering primarily to corporate clients. It has been looking to ramp up its local presence and hired private equity veteran and former India head of KKR Sanjay Nayar as external senior advisor to Mizuho Bank India. The parent has infused about $500 million (Rs 4,100 crore) into its India bank branches. Last year, Mizuho invested $145 million for a 15% stake in credit card issuer Credit Saison's Indian subsidiary Kisetsu Saison Finance (India).


Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Mizuho to acquire Avendus from KKR at $700 million valuation
Mumbai: Mizuho Financial Group is set to acquire KKR-backed Avendus Capital , valuing the homegrown investment bank at Rs 6,000 crore ($700 million), ending months of protracted negotiations with several twists and turns, said people aware of the matter. Mizuho Group CEO Masahiro Kihara is scheduled to visit the country later this week for official engagements and a formal announcement is due at that time, they said. Kihara is also director of Mizuho Financial Group Inc. Mizuho and KKR , along with the senior leadership of Avendus, agreed on final deal terms in the last few days, even as private equity group Caryle, the only other serious contender in the fray, was circling the prospect. The deal will mark the biggest investment by Mizuho in India, underscoring the increased strategic interest of Japanese financial groups in the country. Last month, SMBC picked up a strategic stake in private sector lender Yes Bank. The transaction will include KKR exiting its entire 60% stake along with some of its earlier, high-net-worth individual investors and Ranu Vohra, as well as small shareholders, including local PE firm Gaja Capital. Vohra is one of the three founders of Avendus. Once completed, the transaction is likely to see the Japanese mega bank owning up to 70% of the investment bank. In 2015, KKR paid Rs 950-1,000 crore to pick up a controlling stake in Avendus Capital Pvt Ltd (ACPL) from Eastgate Capital Group Ltd and Americorp Ventures, early investors in Avendus via Singapore-based Red Point Investments Pte Ltd. The firm was founded in 1999 by three friends — Vohra, Kaushal Aggarwal and Gaurav Deepak. Other than Vohra, the other two are likely to remain invested and continue to run the company, retaining full operational control, though Mizuho will have veto rights. One of the hottest domestic deal shops in the country, Avendus operates in the financial services space through subsidiaries in financial advisory, capital markets, wholesale financing through Avendus Finance, wealth management and alternative asset management. The acquisition of Spark in 2022 led to the addition of institutional equities to the offerings. Avendus is present in 10 cities in India, the US and Singapore. A little over half of its profits before tax in the first nine months of 2025 came from the investment banking division, followed by credit solutions and institutional equities. ACPL posted a total consolidated income of Rs 1,035 crore and net profit of Rs 170 crore for the nine months to December 2024, against Rs 1,012 crore and Rs 118 crore, respectively, in FY24. Upon exit, KKR is expected to make a blended 3.5x return in rupee terms over a nine-year period. KKR and Avendus declined to comment. Mizuho India country co-head Piyush Aggarwal did not respond to ET's queries. In the past year, several PE funds and family offices had evinced interest in acquiring the business, including TPG Capital, TA Associates and Azim Premji family office PremjiInvest. Even Nomura, originally chosen to manage the stake sale process, threw its hat in the ring but eventually only Mizuho and Carlyle were left to compete. The mandate subsequently moved to Rothschild . 'There is a small difference in the valuation between the two but Mizuho brings a far larger strategic play and adds heft in cross-border transactions,' said an executive in the know. For several investors, the inherent cyclicality associated with the investment banking business was a challenge. The acquisition of Spark has supported profitability through its equity capital market (ECM) products. 'While the group reported strong performance in investment banking in fiscals 2022 and 2023, it was impacted in fiscal 2024 with extended deal completion timelines,' said a March Crisil credit report. 'There was some revival in fiscal 2025 with the nine-month revenue from IB (investment banking) surpassing the full fiscal 2024 revenue… The ongoing diversification in business should support profitability over the medium term.' One of Japan's largest financial institutions, Mizuho bought boutique investment bank Greenhill & Co in a $550 million deal in 2023, betting that the struggling group could help kickstart its ambitions in the US. The third-largest Japanese lender said it aims to sell 'strategic' shareholdings — stocks held to cement ties with corporate clients — worth at least ¥350 billion over the next three years through March 2028 amid the slump in long-dated Japanese bonds. Mizuho Bank, the banking subsidiary of Mizuho Financial Group Inc, has had a presence in India for over 25 years, with five branches catering primarily to corporate clients. It has been looking to ramp up its local presence and hired private equity veteran and former India head of KKR Sanjay Nayar as external senior advisor to Mizuho Bank India. The parent has infused about $500 million (Rs 4,100 crore) into its India bank branches. Last year, Mizuho invested $145 million for a 15% stake in credit card issuer Credit Saison's Indian subsidiary Kisetsu Saison Finance (India).