Cairn India Shareholders Back Tie-Up With Vedanta-Update

By Alex MacDonald

LONDON--Cairn India Ltd (532792.BY) said Monday that a majority of its shareholders voted in favor of a merger with Vedanta Ltd. (500295.BY), marking the last in a series of votes needed to cement the tie-up.

Cairn India said minority shareholders representing 72% of its minority share value voted in favour of the deal. The deal needed a simple majority from Cairn India and Vedanta Ltd.'s minority shareholders and a simple majority from Vedanta Resources' shareholders, of which the latter two were secured last week.

The agreement was first announced more than a year ago and aims to merge the Indian operating unit of Anil Agarwal's U.K.-listed Vedanta Resources PLC (VED.LN) with its majority-owned oil and gas firm Cairn India. Vedanta Resources already owns a near 60% stake in Cairn India and close to 63% of Vedanta Ltd.

The deal now needs approval from India's High Court and other regulators--expected sometime before the end of March 2017--for the deal to close.

"The Vedanta Limited-Cairn India merger has been approved by a significant majority by all sets of shareholders, and I am confident that the simplified corporate structure will better align interests between all shareholders for the creation of long-term, sustainable value," said Mr. Agarwal, chairman of Vedanta Resources, the parent company of Mumbai-based Vedanta Ltd.

The deal initially met a lukewarm response from some of Cairn India's largest minority shareholders who held sway over any vote.

In an effort to boost shareholder interest, Vedanta Ltd. sweetened the deal on July 25 by offering one Vedanta share and four preference shares with a 7.5% annual coupon for each Cairn India share, up from a previous offer of one share and one preference share.

Write to Alex MacDonald at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 12, 2016 12:05 ET (16:05 GMT)

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