Schneider in talks to buy Temasek’s stake in Indian JV

[NEW DELHI] Schneider Electric is considering buying out the remaining stake in its India venture from minority partner Temasek Holdings, according to people familiar with the matter.

Schneider is in talks to buy the 35 per cent stake held by the Singapore state investment company in Schneider Electric India for about US$1 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private. A potential transaction could value the whole venture at roughly US$5 billion including debt, the people said.

Talks are ongoing and no final decisions have been made, the people said. Representatives for Schneider Electric and Temasek declined to comment.

Temasek has been weighing a potential exit from the joint venture, including a sale to its majority partner or another party, as well as via an initial public offering, Bloomberg News reported last year.

Schneider Electric India is 65 per cent owned by the French company with the reminder held by Temasek, according to a statement from 2020, when it completed the merger of its Indian low voltage and industrial automation product unit with Larsen & Toubro’s electrical and automation operations.

Schneider, one of France’s oldest and biggest industrial companies, has evolved from primarily a maker of electrical gear to a provider of software and equipment for buildings, data centres and factories.

Dealmaking activity in India is growing as investors seek to double down their presence on the most populous nation. The volume of mergers and acquisitions in the country has reached US$31 billion, a 16 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to Bloomberg data. BLOOMBERG