Temasek to buy 5% in Bharti Airtel

Temasek Holdings, the Singapore government's investment arm, is acquiring 4.99% stake in Bharti Airtel, India's largest cellular telephony operator.

Singapore Telecom is already a large shareholder in the company.

"Bharti Enterprises continues to maintain a controlling interest of over
45% in Bharti Airtel through its subsidiary Bharti Telecom," said a statement issued by Bharti.

One of Bharti's group companies has decided to grant an option to acquire an indirect stake in Bharti Airtel to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek. The option arrangement envisages acquisition of shares which, on exercise, will result in a 4.99% stake in Bharti Airtel.

(Source: Business Standard )

Tatas offload 10% in Tata Sky to Temasek

The Tata Group has divested 10% stake in its direct-to-home (DTH) venture Tata Sky to the Singapore government's investment arm Temasek for $56 million.

Temasek has the option to increase its stake further to the permissible limit of 26%. With this move, Tatas' stake in the company has come down to 70%.Incorporated in 2004, Tata Sky started off as a 80:20 joint venture between the Tata Group and television network Star. The DTH service was launched last year.

Tata Sky has a total subscriber base of over half a million, and intends to take the number to one million by August this year.The competition in the DTH space is hottening up with the proposed entry of cash-rich companies like, Reliance, Bharti and Sun TV, the source said. Tata Sky is the market leader at present.At the current rate of the growth, India would have anything between 15 to 20 million DTH subscribers in the next five to six years.

(Source: Business Standard)

Temasek to pick up 28% stake in First Flight

Temasek is picking 27.74% equity stake in courier and express delivery firm First Flight in a deal worth Rs 107.5 crore. Mumbai-based First Flight, which is a public limited unlisted company promoted by the Saboo family, is the second largest domestic courier company with revenues of around Rs 300 crore. It is the largest domestic private equity deal in the courier and logistics space.

Temasek picks up 21.74% in GL Hotels

Dunearn Investments (Mauritius), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia investment firm Temasek Holdings, is acquiring a 21.74% stake in GL Hotels for Rs 125 crore. Mumbai-based GL Hotels, promoted by the Ghais of the Kwality and Gaylord restaurant fame, now operates the boutique Intercontinental (IHG) Marine Drive in south Mumbai.

It is foraying into boutique and lifestyle hotels and is understood to be talking to a number of global hospitality majors for the same

Temasek, GIC get nod to buy ICICI stake

RBI will allow Temasek and Governement of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) to acquire 10% each in ICICI bank, but calls it a "one-off-case".

The move ssumes significance considering the ICICI Bank's $5 billion equity offering in June.

RBI had earlier said that Temasek and GIC are both related entities and could together hold a maximum stake of 10%.