IndInfravit Trust, an infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) sponsored by the L&T Group, on Monday said that it is acquiring nine operational road assets from Sadbhav Infrastructure Project Ltd for ₹6,610 crore.
IndInfravit, sponsored by L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Ltd (L&T IDPL), currently holds a portfolio of five operational toll road concessions. In addition to L&T IDPL, the other unitholders include Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Allianz insurance companies and OMERS Infrastructure.
IndInfravit is acquiring the assets through a mix of cash payment and units of the InvIT. Post completion of the transaction, Sadbhav will likely hold up to 10% units in IndInfravit.
The roads portfolio that IndInfravit is buying comprises seven toll roads and two annuity roads, with total 2,619 lane kms in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana. These roads have been operational, on an average, for approximately six years and are used by diverse groups of road users and commercial traffic, the statement said.
“Today’s announcement serves as a clear expression of our intentions to actively pursue growth and expand the IndInfravit Trust’s revenue base. Further, the InvIT platform clearly underlines how India remains an attractive destination for serious and committed long-term investors, and we look forward to more such transactions in the near future,” said J. Subramanian, chief executive, LTIDPL IndvIT Services Ltd, the investment manager of IndInfravit.
The transaction will see the InvIT’s largest backer CPPIB commit capital to the tune of Canadian $220 million.
“Our investment in IndInfravit Trust reflects our long-term confidence in the Indian infrastructure market and our belief in the ability of these toll roads to deliver strong risk-adjusted returns. The IndInfravit Trust, established by our investment partner L&T IDPL, was the first private InvIT of its kind in India, and we have been involved since its inception. We now look forward to the growth that is expected through our additional investment in these operating road assets,” said Scott Lawrence, managing director and head of infrastructure at CPPIB.
Post the completion of the transaction, Sadbhav Infrastructure will continue to own three operational road project companies and 12 under-construction road projects under the Hybrid Annuity Model.
Sadbhav will use the sale proceeds for bidding for new road projects, inject equity in current under construction projects and prepay debt.
“This is a very exciting phase in our journey and we are very committed to delivering growth and value to our shareholders, both at Sadbhav Infrastructure and Sadbhav Engineering Ltd. We look forward to our partnership with IndInfravit and its marquee set of unitholders. We are committed to continue providing quality maintenance services and project management services to the portfolio,” said Shashin Patel, chairman at Sadbhav.
Investment bank Ambit Pvt. Ltd acted as the financial adviser to IndInfravit, while Morgan Stanley advised Sadbhav Infrastructure.
Source: Mint