Tata-Ford deal to augur well for Indian M&A scene

Tata Motors' deal worth $2.3 billion with Ford Motor Company for its Jaguar and Land Rover marques will boost India Inc's mergers and acquisition volumes, which stood at 5.96 billion dollars in the first two months of 2008. Tata Motors deal holds significance as the aggregate deal value of 2.3 billion dollars comprises about 40 per cent of the total M&A volumes in the past two months.

The Financial Express
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/
TataFord-deal-to-augur-well-for-M&A-scene/288715/

Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover : Now What

What the Indian conglomerate will do with two luxury-car brands...

DEPENDING on which way you look at it, in acquiring Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) from Ford for $2.3 billion, Tata Motors has either got itself two of the most famous brands in the car business at a bargain price—or a sea of troubles. In India there is both pride in Tata's global ambition and a fair dose of scepticism. Tata Group, the parent of Tata Motors, may be India's biggest industrial conglomerate, but there are concerns that it may have taken on more than it can manage. ....

The Economist
http://www.economist.com/business/
displaystory.cfm?story_id=10925609

Buffett’s NetJets enters Indian market for charters

The world’s largest private jets operator, NetJets Inc., owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has joined hands with Mumbai-based Shreyans Motors Pvt. Ltd to sell international air charter services in India.

LiveMint
http://www.livemint.com/2008/03/19224307/
Buffett8217s-NetJets-enters.html

Pritish Nandy in Rs 1800 crore deal for animation movies

Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd (PNC) has struck a Rs 1800 crore ($45 million) deal with DQ Entertainment (DQE), one of the world's leading animation and gaming production companies, to co-develop and co-produce six animation movies over the next three to four years.

The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/
Media__Entertainment_/Pritish_Nandy_in_Rs_1800_crore_deal
_for_animation_movies/articleshow/2881817.cms

Champagne Indage to buy Australian winery for over $54 mn

India's leading winemaker Champagne Indage is set to buy Australian Vintage's Loxton winery for 60 million Australian dollars ($54.6 million). Australian Vintage Ltd. (AVL) has signed a deal to sell its second-largest winery to Indage within six months, subject to Indage satisfying due diligence requirements. The 90,000-litre facility in the state of south Australia's Riverland is the country's fifth-largest winery.

The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/
Cons_Products/Champagne_Indage_to_buy_Australian_winery_for_over_54_mn/
articleshow/2883459.cms

SBI, others to raise $3 bn for Tata Motors

State Bank of India (SBI) led consortium will raise $3-billion loan by April for Tata Motors’ acquisitions abroad, including the $2-billion Jaguar and Land Rover deal. Apart from SBI, the consortium will include leading entities like Citibank, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ and Mizuho Financial Group, a source said. The country’s largest lender is also in talks with two-three public sector banks to be a part of the consortium...

The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/
Banking_Finance_/SBI_others_to_raise_3_bn_for_Tata_Motors/
articleshow/2879832.cms

Ford to invest $500 mn for expanding India operations

Global auto major Ford Motor Company (FMC) will invest an additional $500 million over the next two years to expand its Indian operations for manufacturing small car and components for domestic and overseas markets

The Economic Times
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/
Auto/Ford_to_invest_500_mn_for_expanding_India_operations/
articleshow/2882382.cms

Entertainment, media record 17% growth in 2007

The entertainment & media (E&M) industry has recorded a growth of 17% in 2007 to cross the Rs 50,000-crore-plus mark, according to a report. The E&M industry has reached an estimated Rs 51,300 crore in 2007, up from Rs 43,800 crore in 2006, according to a Ficci PricewaterhouseCoopers 2008 report on Indian entertainment and media industry for 2007.

The Financial Express
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/
Entertainment-media-record-17-growth-in-2007/285173/