Bharti Infratel IPO opens on Dec 11, aims to raise Rs.4,534 cr

Bharti Group’s tower arm, Bharti Infratel, is looking at raising up to R4,533.60 crore through its initial public offering (IPO), which would be launched next month. Bharti Group’s first IPO in 10 years would be the biggest public issue since that of Coal India (CIL) two years back, when it raised R15,475 crore.

The IPO comprising 18.89 crore equity shares will open on December 11 for retail investors in a price band of R210-240 per share. The issue will close on December 14. At the upper end of the price band, Bharti Infratel would raise about R4,533.60 crore, while at the lower end, it could end up with R3,966.90 crore. For anchor investors, the issue will open on December 10.

Bharti Group’s deputy CEO and MD Akhil Gupta said most of the proceeds would be committed to installing 4,813 new towers, upgrading and replacing existing ones as well as funding inorganic growth, both domestically as well as internationally.

Further, according to the company's filing with the stock exchange, out of the total proceeds it raises from the capital markets, it plans to infuse R1,086 crore for setting up new towers, R1,214 crore towards upgradation of half of its existing tower base of 33,000 towers and another R640 crore towards green initiatives at 12,500 tower sites.

Infratel recorded a 36% jump in its net profit at R750 crore at the end of the 2011-12 against R551 crore in the previous year.

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