Reliance Industries to sell 3.1% stake in Network18 for Rs 173.55 cr

New Delhi: Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will sell 3.10 percent stake in media and entertainment firm Network18 Media and Investments at Rs 53.40 per share to bring down its shareholding in the company to 75 percent.[caption id=“attachment_2027923” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The Network18 logo.[/caption] Reliance Industries-owned Shinano Retail Pvt Ltd’s Offer for Sale to sell 3.25 crore equity shares, scheduled to open on 8 July, has set a floor price at Rs 53.40 per share. “The floor price for the equity shares offered under the sale shall be Rs 53.40 per equity share of Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd,” Network18 said in a BSE filing. While, RIL will pocket Rs 173.55 crore through this Offer for Sale. Reliance Industries, which had last year acquired majority holding in Network18 Media and Investments for Rs 4,000 crore through Independent Media Trust (IMT), is offloading stock to comply with Sebi requirement of keeping promoter holding at 75 percent. Promoter shareholding in the company as on 31 March 2015, stood at 78.10 percent. On 29 May last year, in the biggest ever deal in India’s media sector, Reliance Industries acquired control in Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, including its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Ltd, for Rs 4,000 crore. Subsequently, the company made open offers to acquire a controlling stake in media group Network18 and its subsidiaries. In January 2012, Network18 Group and Reliance Industries had joined hands for a multi-layered deal, under which the Mukesh Ambani-led corporate giant sold part of its interest in ETV channels and got access to content and distribution assets of the electronic media group. Meanwhile, RIL shares closed 1.17 per cent down at Rs 1,003.40 while the Network 18 Media & Investments scrip ended 2.40 per cent down at Rs 61.10 apiece, respectively on the BSE. (Disclosure: Firstpost is part of Network18 Media & Investment Limited which is owned by Reliance Industries Limited.) PTI