Phillips merges its Indian entities

• Philips is to consolidate its seven different entities in the country under a single roof. The
company's remaining three companies will also merge into Philips India Ltd that had four
of its companies merged earlier. The merged company will be known as Philips
Electronics India Limited.

• The company has also firmed up strategies to focus on healthcare, lifestyle and
technology businesses in India as its growth plans.

Pharmacia-Pfizer merger

• A swap ratio of one share of Pfizer India Ltd for every five of Pharmacia Healthcare has
been fixed for the merger of the two companies.

• The amalgamation will create a pharmaceutical major with a presence in cardio vascular,
nutritional, anti-infective, cough preparations and oncology segments.

• The legal merger recently became a certainty when Pfizer India 's top management said at
its annual general meeting that while Pharmacia Corporation has merged with Pfizer Inc
globally, the board would consider a legal merger of the company with Pfizer India. As
part of the move, Pfizer India stopped operations at its Ankleshwar plant.

• It was also pointed out that the legal merger would be a win-win situation for both
companies with Pharmacia's strong product portfolio giving Pfizer a larger market share.

Gulf Oil India merges with IDL Industries

• The merged entity will be a well-diversified company with business interests in

infrastructure, mining, chemicals and lubes.

• This merger will result in a better synergy between the two companies for product
development and research, purchasing, marketing and other back-office functions for cost
reduction and optimum use of resources.

• IDL, a 40-year-old company, is into manufacturing industrial explosives, detonators and

other initiating devices. Its factory in Hyderabad is the largest detonator and initiating
devices manufacturing facility in the world. It has six other factories and six satellite
units for manufacturing of explosives.

• The merged company has drawn up a long-term business plan for future growth, utilizing
assets valued at round Rs 500 crore and a manpower of around 2,600. The organization
will have a strong distribution base with 27 marketing offices and 250 distributors spread
across the country. Additionally, the merged entity will have an export base in over 20
countries with IDL Industries already enjoying an export house status.
Birla-Tata-AT&T and BPL Communications

• Birla-Tata-AT&T (Batata) and BPL Communications, two of India’s largest cellular

players, have signed an agreement to merge their operations.

• The final shareholding structure effectively values BPL’s operations, which has almost 7
lakh subscribers, higher than that of Batata, which has 4 lakh users.

• The biggest advantage will be that of contiguity, once interconnection is allowed.

• The new combine will create an even stronger force, with a large subscriber base and a
large footprint.

• BPL Mobile and BPL Cellular, the two operating subsidiaries of BPL Communications,
are likely to exist as subsidiaries of the merged entity.

• AT&T, a one-third owner of Batata, owns Media One, which is a 49 per cent shareholder
in BPL Cellular.

• The brand will be completely neutral and independent of its three Indian promoters