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July 26, 2001
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Videocon not to sell Samsung venture stake now

Partha Ghosh

The Videocon group has decided to put on hold its plans to offload its 26 per cent shareholding in Samsung India Electronics Ltd (Samsung India) for at least a year, following failed negotiations with the Korean electronics giant.

Samsung has insisted that the valuation of the 26 per cent stake in the company cannot be Rs 5 billion as arrived at by the Dhoots.

"The market is down at the moment and we can understand Samsung's justification for the low price. We have decided to talk about the issue after the market picks up," Videocon group chairman Venugopal N Dhoot told Business Standard.

Dhoot does not expect a deal being arrived at in the next one year. On being asked why he proposed to sell off his stake at a time when he may not get a fair price in the current industry scenario, Dhoot says he wanted to initiate talks since these kind of deals take time to materialise.

Samsung executives, however, deny there has been any discussion between the partners. A spokesperson for the Korean firm's Indian subsidiary said she had no comments to offer.

Dhoot also said that the two partners have decided that till the time an agreement is reached, Kuldeep Drabu, a Videocon representative on the board, will continue to hold the post of chairman of Samsung India. Videocon has another nominee on the Samsung India board.

Videocon holds the shares in Samsung India through a group firm called Reasonable Computer Solutions. Sources said that the existing paid up equity share capital of the joint venture is Rs 600 million, of which Reasonable has invested Rs 162 million. Dhoot's demand is, therefore, 31 times the par value of the shares.

Samsung India's turnover in likely to touch Rs 28 billion this year, according to senior company executives. In the first half of the year, the company registered sales worth Rs 12.47 billion compared with Rs 9.02 billion in the same period last year.

Samsung has a share of 8.5 per cent in the colour TV market and notched a 15.5 per cent share of the air-conditioner market.

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