Biznextindia : Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), the logistics arm of Gautam Adani controlled Adani Group on Friday announced the acquisition of a controlling stake of 75% from the existing shareholders of Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. (KPCL).
Located in the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh, KPCL is a multi-cargo facility which handled 54 MMT in 2018-19 financial year.
“The Acquisition value of KPCL is approximately Rs.13,500 cr. The purchase consideration will be funded through internal accruals and existing cash balance. This acquisition will accelerate APSEZ’s stride towards 400 MMT by 2025. The credit metrics of APSEZ consolidated are not expected to change with this transaction. The net debt to EBIDTA of consolidated APSEZ Ltd. including KPCL in FY 21 is expected to be around 3.2x. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to be completed in 120 days” the company said in a regulatory filing.
“KPCL is a crown jewel to join APSEZ’s string of pearls, our network of 10 economic gateways to India and this acquisition would accelerate our stride towards FY2025 vision of handling 400 MMT of cargo. Given the best-in-class infrastructure and the distinct hinterland catered by KPCL, this acquisition will not just increase our market share to 27% but also add remarkable value to our pan-India footprint. With the experience of successfully turning around acquisitions of Dhamra and Kattupalli ports, we are confident of harnessing the potential of KPCL and improve returns to stakeholders. APSEZ will target to enhance cargo volume at KPCL to 100 MMT in around 7 years and will double its EBIDTA in around 4 years through its process improvements and industry best practices” Mr. Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director of APSEZ said.