India’s Tata Makes Up For Losses In The Hotel Industry With Strong Auto And Coal

The different divisions of India’s Tata group have had contradictory results. Orient Express has rejected a purchase offer from Indian Hotels, worth $1.86 billion for 93% of the shares not already owned by Indian at a unit price of $12.63 per share. Despite the fact that it set the share price at 40% above its current market value, the offer was still deemed insufficient. The dual structure of Orient Express gives its board of directors a power advantage of its shareholders, making any kind of hostile takeover nearly impossible. The fusion between the Indian group – which already controls the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai (scene of a bloody terrorist attack in 2008) and the Pierre in New York. – and the prestigious corporation that owns the Cipriani in Venice, along with branding of the fascinating railway route between London and the Venetian lagoon. The refusal, delivered one month after the offer was made and with the contribution of international advisors, follows another refusal made four years prior. The previous refusal by Orient Express, motivated by more than just economic evaluation (“we do not believe there can be a strategic union between the predominantly Indian properties of the Tata group and an asset of global proportions”), caused social resentment in India at the time, stinging with nationalism and ready to launch accusations of racism. This year’s decision was justified more soberly, with economic reasons tied to the value of the offer, deemed too low. The company will remain independent, based in London, incorporated in Bermuda and quoted on the New York Stock Exchange. Maybe as a way to compensate for the failed attempt, Tata announced the success of another acquisition the next day, November 9. Tata Power, India’s largest private energy producer, acquired 26% of the Indonesian mine BSSR, whose coal reserves are considered nearly inexhaustible. The operation is a precursor to a corporate action that has already been negotiated and will lead to successive acquisitions of mineral fossils equal to 10 million tons per year. The group has therefore assured a consistent supply for the future, reinforcing its presence in Indonesia. Three weeks after the signature of the contract, Tata Motors announced the beginning of the distribution of three of its commercial vehicle models in Bangladesh. The collaboration with the neighboring country dates back to 1971 – the beginning of the independence of the ex-East Pakistan – but was limited to industrial vehicles. Now the group will take a long-term initiative aimed at motorizing a populous country undergoing economic growth, confirming that its globalized action in various countries and sectors will inevitably lead to positive returns and success.