Sale of shares by a foreign entity

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Querist : Anonymous

Querist : Anonymous (Querist)

16 May 2012 X is a foreign company holding shares of A limited.B wants to purchasw shAres from X. Please clarify the approval required. Thanks

Ajay Mishra

Ajay Mishra (Expert)
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17 May 2012 Hi

Yes, required general approval from RBI by filing FC-TRS form alongwith supporting documents by resident party.

For more details, please go through the Master Circular issued by RBI on July 01, 2011 on Foreign Direct Investment in India.

Regards

Ajay Mishra

Ajay Mishra (Expert)
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17 May 2012 TRANSFER OF SHARES AND CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES –

(i) Subject to FDI sectoral policy (relating to sectoral caps and entry routes), applicable laws and other conditionalities including security conditions, non-resident investors can also invest in Indian companies by purchasing/acquiring existing shares from Indian shareholders or from other non-resident shareholders. General permission has been granted to non-residents/NRIs for acquisition of shares by way of transfer subject to the following:
(a) A person resident outside India (other than NRI and erstwhile OCB) may transfer by way of sale or gift, the shares or convertible debentures to any person resident outside India (including NRIs).
(b) NRIs may transfer by way of sale or gift the shares or convertible debentures held by them to another NRI.

(c) A person resident outside India can transfer any security to a person resident in India by way of gift.
(d) A person resident outside India can sell the shares and convertible debentures of an Indian company on a recognized Stock Exchange in India through a stock broker registered with stock exchange or a merchant banker registered with SEBI.
(e) A person resident in India can transfer by way of sale, shares/convertible debentures (including transfer of subscriber‘s shares), of an Indian company in sectors other than financial services sectors (i.e. Banks, NBFC, Insurance, Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs), Credit Information Companies (CICs), infrastructure companies in the securities market viz. Stock Exchanges, Clearing Corporations, and Depositories, Commodity Exchanges, etc.) under private arrangement to a person resident outside India, subject to the guidelines given in Annex-2.
(f) General permission is also available for transfer of shares/convertible debentures, by way of sale under private arrangement by a person resident outside India to a person resident in India, subject to the guidelines given in Annex-2.
(g) The above General Permission also covers transfer by a resident to a non-resident of shares/convertible debentures of an Indian company, engaged in an activity earlier covered under the Government Route but now falling under Automatic Route, as well as transfer of shares by a non-resident to an Indian company under buyback and/or capital reduction scheme of the company. However, this General Permission is not available in case of transfer of shares / debentures, from a Resident to a Non-Resident/Non-Resident Indian, of an entity engaged in any activity in the financial services sector (i.e. Banks, NBFCs, Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs), Credit Information Companies (CICs), Insurance, infrastructure companies in the securities market such as Stock Exchanges, Clearing Corporations, and Depositories, Commodity Exchanges, etc.).

(h) The Form FC-TRS should be submitted to the AD Category-I Bank, within 60 days from the date of receipt of the amount of consideration. The onus of submission of the Form FC-TRS within the given timeframe would be on the transferor/transferee, resident in India.

(ii) The sale consideration in respect of equity instruments purchased by a person resident outside India, remitted into India through normal banking channels, shall be subjected to a Know Your Customer (KYC) check by the remittance receiving AD Category-I bank at the time of receipt of funds. In case, the remittance receiving AD Category-I bank is different from the AD Category-I bank handling the transfer transaction, the KYC check should be carried out by the remittance receiving bank and the KYC report be submitted by the customer to the AD Category-I bank carrying out the transaction along with the Form FC-TRS.
(iii) Escrow: AD Category-I banks have been given general permission to open Escrow account and Special account of non-resident corporate for open offers / exit offers and delisting of shares. The relevant SEBI (SAST) Regulations or any other applicable SEBI Regulations/ provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 will be applicable. AD Category-I banks have also been permitted to open and maintain, without prior approval of RBI, non-interest bearing Escrow accounts in Indian Rupees in India on behalf of residents and/or non-residents, towards payment of share purchase consideration and/or provide Escrow facilities for keeping securities to facilitate FDI transactions subject to the terms and conditions specified by RBI. SEBI authorised Depository Participants have also been permitted to open and maintain, without prior approval of RBI, Escrow accounts for securities subject to the terms and conditions as specified by RBI. In both cases, the Escrow agent shall necessarily be an AD Category- I bank or SEBI authorised Depository Participant (in case of securities‘ accounts). These facilities will be applicable for both issue of fresh shares to the non- residents as well as transfer of shares from / to the non- residents.

Regards

Querist : Anonymous

Querist : Anonymous (Querist)

17 May 2012 Thanks a lot ...Its really helpful.

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