CHANGE IN THE WORKING OF ISSUE PRICE FOR THE ALLOTMENT OR TRANSFER OF UNLISTED COMPANIES FOR FDIs UNDER FEMA

CHANGE IN THE WORKING OF ISSUE PRICE FOR THE ALLOTMENT  OR TRANSFER OF UNLISTED COMPANIES FOR FDIs  UNDER FEMA 

The extant pricing guidelines in respect of transfer/issue of shares and for exit from investment in equity shares with or without optionality clauses of listed/unlisted Indian companies have since been reviewed so as to provide greater freedom and flexibility to the parties concerned under the FDI framework. The new pricing guidelines shall be as under:

(i) In case of listed companies

(a) The issue and transfer of shares including compulsorily convertible preference shares and compulsorily convertible debentures shall be as per the SEBI guidelines;

(b) The pricing guidelines for FDI instruments with optionality clauses shall continue to be in accordance with A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 86 dated January 9, 2014, i.e., the non-resident investor shall be eligible to exit at the market price prevailing on the recognised stock exchanges subject to lock-in period as stipulated, without any assured return.

(ii) In case of unlisted companies

The issue and transfer of shares including compulsorily convertible preference shares and compulsorily convertible debentures with or without optionality clauses shall be at a price worked out as per any internationally accepted pricing methodology on arm’s length basis. Thus, the guiding principle will be that the non-resident investor is not guaranteed any assured exit price at the time of making such investment/agreement and shall exit at a fair price computed as above at the time of exit subject to lock-in period requirement as applicable in terms of A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 86 dated January 9, 2014.

4. The changes in the existing pricing guidelines for FDI applicable to transfer/issue of shares and for exit from foreign direct investment with optionality clauses for the unlisted Indian companies are given in the Annex 1 and Annex 2 respectively.

5. An Indian company taking on record in its books any transfer of its shares or convertible debenture by way of sale from a resident to a non-resident and a non-resident to a resident shall disclose in its balance sheet for the financial year, in which the transaction took place, the details of valuation of share or convertible debentures, the pricing methodology adopted for the same as well as the agency that has given/certified the valuation.


Ref: A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 4 July 15, 2014