Indian startups set for up to $10bn windfall from Japan's SoftBank group

(Shutterstock)
Short Url
Updated 12 November 2021
Follow

Indian startups set for up to $10bn windfall from Japan's SoftBank group

RIYADH: Japan investment company SoftBank Group Corp has a warchest of up to $10 billion to invest in Indian companies, the CEO of its investment advisors division revealed at the Bloomberg India Economic Forum on Thursday. 

SoftBank is planning to increase its stakes in India — having invested $3 billion in 2021 — just as global firms grow more wary of bets in China thanks to tighter regulations across a number of industries hurting deals there.

The Japanese company invested early in the Indian market, taking a stake in ride-hailing giant Ola and e-commerce leader Flipkart, before its acquisition by Walmart.

SoftBank also invested in digital payments pioneer Paytm.

India’s tech ecosystem is taking off and SoftBank’s patience will be “rewarded,” SoftBank Investment Advisers CEO Rajeev Misra said, adding: “It is India’s time.”

Additionally, the Japanese company is nearing a deal to buy a stake in Washington-based technology unicorn Icertis, valuing the enterprise software maker at about $5 billion, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The Japanese investor will pay about $80 million for the stake owned by Fidelity-backed Eight Roads Ventures, and is also looking to further raise its holdings in Icertis, which has operations in India, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public.

Deliberations are ongoing and there’s no certainty the transaction will go through, the people said. 


Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to close at 11,251 

Updated 17 sec ago
Follow

Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to close at 11,251 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Thursday, gaining 84.27 points, or 0.75 percent, to close at 11,251.81. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.38 billion ($1.43 billion), as 188 of the stocks advanced and 67 retreated.    

Similarly, the Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu gained 157.22 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 23,643.74. This comes as 44 of the stocks advanced while 32 retreated.    

The MSCI Tadawul Index gained 10.88 points, or 0.72 percent, to close at 1,517.43.     

The best-performing stock of the day was Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co., whose share price surged 9.96 percent to SR5.30.   

Other top performers included Ataa Educational Co., whose share price rose 9.94 percent to SR57.50, as well as Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co., whose share price surged 5.74 percent to SR7.55. 

Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Co. recorded the most significant drop, falling 5.93 percent to SR220.50. 

Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. also saw its stock prices fall 2.77 percent to SR43.56. 

Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co. also saw its stock prices decline 2.30 percent to SR2.55. 

On the announcement front, Multi Business Group Co. reported its annual financial results for the year ended Dec. 31. According to a Tadawul statement, the firm recorded a net profit of SR352,172 during the year, down 98 percent from the previous year. 

The company attributed the decline primarily to a 2 percent drop in building contracting revenues and a 73 percent decrease in gross profit.  

Multi Business Group Co. ended the session at SR9.90, down 1 percent. 

Hamad Mohammed Bin Saedan Real Estate Co. announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Awwal Bank to enhance collaboration in financing solutions, advance real estate development projects, and expand access to customer financing programs. 

Hamad Mohammed Bin Saedan Real Estate Co. ended the session at SR6.67, up 1.21 percent.