TATATECH

Corrects bullet 6 to say J.P. Morgan's price target for KPIT Technologies is 1,400 rupees, not 4,800 rupees

** Shares of Indian software engineering firms Tata Technologies TATE.NS and Tata Elxsi TTEX.NS jump 4% and 8%, respectively

** J.P.Morgan upgrades both stocks to "Neutral" from "underweight" as automaker clients resume R&D programs after trade deals ease tariff uncertainties

** Work on projects won in 2025 to ramp up this year, brokerage says, with Europe, APAC clients leading demand recovery

** Auto investments focused on hybrids, brokerage notes, with EVs set to recover in the medium term

** As demand recovers, brokerage lifts PT on TATE to 710 rupees from 570 rupees; TTEX's PT raised to 4,800 rupees from 4,000 rupees

** However, KPIT Technologies KPIE.NS ("Overweight," PT: 1,400 rupees) remains JPM's top pick in sector; currently up 4.3%

** TTEX, TATE had underperformed Nifty IT .NIFTYIT index in 2025 on demand worries

** In 2025, TATE dropped 28%, TTEX was down 23% and KPIE fell 20% vs IT index's 13% fall

(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru)

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Add details from paragraph 3

By Vivek Kumar M and Yagnoseni Das

Oct 13 (Reuters) - Tata Capital TATC.NS, India's third-largest non-bank lender by revenue, was muted in its debut trade on Monday, valuing the firm at 1.4 trillion rupees ($15.78 billion), with investors seemingly not that keen on the first listing by the storied Tata Group in nearly two years.

Tata Capital's subdued debut has come in a busy IPO market, where analysts say investors appear to be favouring LG Electronics India's LGEL.NS $1.3-billion share sale as they expect stronger listing gains and near-term growth, helped by recent tax cuts.

As of 10:57 am, Tata Capital shares traded at 329.8 rupees, slightly higher than their offer price of 326 rupees. Its market capitalization at the current price trails Bajaj Finance BJFN.NS and Jio Financial Services >, which are valued at $72 billion and $22 billion, respectively.

Tata Capital's IPO was fairly priced but the lack of a major valuation discount to its listed peers was one of the key factors for the tepid response, said Ambareesh Baliga, an independent market analyst.

"This is probably the first time we have seen such muted demand for an IPO from Tata Group," Baliga said.

Strong interest in LG Electronics India's IPO and negative news surrounding the Tata Group, including boardroom turmoil, also weighed on demand for Tata Capital's share sale, said Dhiraj Relli, CEO at HDFC Securities.

Last week, while Tata Capital got bids worth $2.9 billion for its IPO, LG Electronics India's public issue, which opened a day later, received nearly $50 billion worth of bids.

LG will start trading on October 14, while WeWork India, which made its debut last week, fell as much as 5.2% as investors stayed wary of its steep valuation and governance risks.

The last IPO from the salt-to-software Tata Group was by engineering and technology services provider Tata Technologies TATE.NS in November 2023, which listed at a premium of 140% to its issue price.

($1 = 88.7420 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Yagnoseni Das and Vivek Kumar M in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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Oct 9 (Reuters) - Indian engineering research and development (ER&D) firm Tata Elxsi TTEL.NS reported a fourth straight quarter of widening profit fall on Thursday, as its key transportation business declined amid uncertain markets and geopolitical tensions.

The company, which relies heavily on the auto industry, said net profit fell 32.5% to 1.55 billion rupees ($17.46 million) in the July-September period year-on-year. In the previous three quarters, it had reported a profit fall of between 3.6% and 21.6%.

ER&D firms, which depend on work outsourced by U.S. and European clients, have been under pressure as global automotive clients cut back on investments and R&D spending, reeling from the impact of U.S. tariffs, according to analysts.

Tata Elxsi, which counts Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) among its largest clients, said in July that industry- and customer-specific issues had affected R&D spending and decision-making cycles across geographies.

It added that the global automotive industry remains in flux amid uncertainties surrounding the Chinese market and tariffs, casting a cloud over clients’ R&D plans, while major auto parts makers continue to face challenges.

JLR's temporary production shutdown following a September cyber attack in Britain is also expected to weigh on Tata Elxsi’s quarterly revenue, analysts had said ahead of the results.

Revenue from the transportation segment - Tata Elxsi's biggest - fell 9.9% year-on-year in the second quarter. The segment provides software and engineering services to auto and auto parts makers, including design of parts and technologies.

Its core profit margin came in at 21.1% in the quarter, down from 27.9% a year ago, but bigger than the 20.9% of last quarter.

Overall revenue fell by 3.9% to 9.18 billion rupees.

Shares of the company closed 2.1% higher ahead of results.

($1 = 88.7830 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Aleef Jahan, Komal Salecha; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)

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** Tata Technologies TATE.NS gains 2.9% to 737.5 rupees, a more than 4-week high

** Engineering, research and development firm posts smaller-than-expected Q1 revenue drop on deal wins

** Optimistic about sequential recovery in Q2, stronger H2 FY26

** However, ICICI Securities expects FY26 growth to likely be weak; maintains "sell" at PT of 510 rupees

** Models a 1.5% y/y USD dip in FY26 vs co's double-digit revenue growth aspiration

** Stock rated "sell" on avg; median PT is 640 rupees, per data compiled by LSEG

** YTD, TATE down ~17%

(Reporting by Aleef Jahan in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]))

** India's Tata Technologies TATE.NS down 4.7% following large block deal

** Around 16 million shares, representing 3.95% stake in co, change hands, as per LSEG

** TPG Rise Climate, which holds 6.01% stake in TATE, likely seller, as per media report

** Shares sold at 676 rupees, a discount of 4.2% to Monday's closing price

** YTD, TATE down 25.6%

(Reporting by Vivek Kumar M)

(([email protected];))

BENGALURU, April 25 Reuters - Diary of India economic, corporate events on April 25

ECONOMIC, CORPORATE .BSE500 EVENTS:

(Compiled by Bengaluru Newsroom)

(([email protected]))

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies Ltd TATE.NS:

• TATA TECHNOLOGIES LTD - REPORTS RANSOMWARE INCIDENT AFFECTING IT ASSETS

• TATA TECHNOLOGIES LTD - IT SERVICES WERE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED AND NOW RESTORED

• TATA TECHNOLOGIES LTD - CLIENT DELIVERY SERVICES REMAIN FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND UNAFFECTED

Source text: ID:nNSE4HfLzn

Further company coverage: TATE.NS

(([email protected];))

Jan 21 (Reuters) - India's Tata Technologies TATE.NS reported a bigger-than-expected third-quarter profit, aided by improved demand in its services and technology segments.

Tata Technologies provides engineering and technology services to automobile, aero and heavy machinery makers.

Consolidated profit after tax fell marginally to 1.69 billion rupees ($19.52 million) in the October-December quarter, from 1.70 billion rupees a year ago.

Analysts, on average, expected a profit of 1.61 billion rupees, as per data compiled by LSEG.

Its services segment revenue - which contributes over 78% to the total - grew 1%, while the smaller technology solutions segment grew 6%.

Engineering, research and design (ER&D) services, which include technology support to industries such as transportation and communications, contribute a sixth of the revenue to India's $254 billion technology sector.

Companies such as Tata Technologies and Tata Elxsi TTEX.NS are expected to benefit from the ER&D sector quadrupling to as much as $170 billion between 2023 and 2030, India's National Association of Software and Service Companies said.

Tata Technologies' revenue rose 2% to 13.17 billion rupees in the third quarter, slightly ahead of analysts' estimate of 13.11 billion rupees.

However, total expenses rose 7% as the company spent more on technology upgrades.

Shares of the company closed 0.5% higher ahead of results.

($1 = 86.5810 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Aleef Jahan and Ashna Teresa Britto in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng)

(([email protected]))

Jan 7 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies Ltd TATE.NS:

• CO AND TELECHIPS SIGN MOU

• COLLABORATION TO FOCUS ON ADAS, AUTOMOTIVE COCKPIT, GATEWAY CONTROLLERS

Source text: ID:nBSE9sslbb

Further company coverage: TATE.NS

(([email protected];;))

Nov 20 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies Ltd TATE.NS:

• TATA TECHNOLOGIES LTD - SIGNS MOA FOR ITI UPGRADE PROJECT IN TRIPURA

• TATA TECHNOLOGIES LTD - TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE 956.5 MILLION RUPEES EXCLUDING GST

Further company coverage: TATE.NS

(([email protected];))

Oct 28 (Reuters) - India's Tata Technologies TATE.NS reported a drop in profit for the third consecutive quarter, hurt by slowing global demand for electric vehicles.

Tata Technologies provides engineering and technology services to automobile, aero and heavy machinery makers. Indian EV market leader Tata Motors TAMO.NS is its parent and also its top client.

Its consolidated profit after tax dropped 2% to 1.57 billion rupees in the July-September quarter. However, this was also its slowest decline in the three quarters when profits have fallen.

Use of electric vehicles has grown rapidly in recent years to account for 2% of India's annual sales of 4.2 million cars, but sales growth is now faltering, which analysts blame on high prices and a lack of charging facilities.

Globally too, some car makers are cutting back on their previous EV targets as consumers opt for hybrid vehicles that are cheaper than their electric counterparts.

Tata Technologies' revenue rose 2% to 1.30 billion rupees in the second quarter, while expenses grew about 1%.

"We are confident that the second half of the fiscal year will show stronger performance compared to the first half," CEO Warren Harris said.

(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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Adds former Tata executive comment paragraph 7-8

By Aditya Kalra and Aditi Shah

NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (Reuters) - The half-brother of Ratan Tata was appointed on Friday as the head of the powerful and influential philanthropic arm of India's Tata group, giving him indirect control of the $165 billion conglomerate.

Tata Trusts said Noel Tata, 67, will be its new chairman after the death this week of Ratan Tata, one of India's best-known corporate titans. The decision followed "many old-timers" in the group wanting him to lead the venture, said one Tata executive.

The parent company, Tata Sons, oversees 30 firms across consumer goods, hotels, automobiles and airlines and has become a global juggernaut over the years, with brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley Tea in its stable.

It owns Tata Consultancy Services, Taj Hotels and Air India and counts Starbucks SBUX.O and Airbus as partners in India.

Tata Trusts has a 66% ownership of Tata Sons, giving it power over big investment, philanthropic and strategic decisions by the conglomerate, company executives say.

Noel Tata, who is half-French, was already among the many trustees of the philanthropic arm, and also vice chairman of Tata Steel TISC.NS and chairman of Tata's popular retail fashion brand Trent.

"Noel is well versed with how Tata businesses are run. In retail, many people thought how will Tata compete with the big retailers. Noel has shown it," said Sanjay Singh, a former Tata Sons executive who retired in 2019.

"He has kept a low profile so the outer world doesn’t know him well, but he is quintessential Tata."

The trust earns dividends from Tata Sons but has no direct say over its operations. However, it appoints a third of the directors to Tata Sons who have veto power over board decisions.

The chairman of Tata Trusts "is powerful enough to decide board and key personnel" appointments at Tata Sons, a second senior company executive said.

While Tata Sons is not compelled to seek advice or guidance from the philanthropic arm, it's an "unsaid understanding" that there is consultation between leadership on both sides, the first executive added.

NOEL'S JOURNEY

The Tata group was set up in 1868 by Ratan's great grandfather, Jamsetji Tata.

A few years later, Jamsetji started charity work that has since expanded to sectors such as healthcare and sports, through many of the trusts in the philanthropic arm.

Ratan Tata started working at the family firm in 1962 and became the chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, taking the group to new heights while gaining a reputation as an extremely shy, soft-spoken executive with sharp business acumen.

Noel Tata is a graduate of Sussex University who has been associated with the group for more than 40 years. He serves on the board of various Tata companies.

As a previous managing director of Tata International, Noel grew the turnover of the trading arm to more than $3 billion from $500 million, a Tata Group website said.

The Tatas belong to the tiny Parsi community, which has included some of India's biggest business names, top nuclear scientists, world-class musicians and senior military officers.

Parsis follow the Zoroastrian faith, an ancient pre-Islamic religion of Iran. Some of its tenets, such as charity and doing good to others, have long been woven into the Tata heritage and business ethos.

Much of the dividend paid out by Tata Sons gets funneled into charitable trusts involved in philanthropic work.

Although the trusts' influence over the group is not often on display, the starkest such example was in 2016, when Ratan Tata had a falling out with Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry that led to the latter's ouster.

Mistry, another Parsi billionaire whose family owns a stake of about 18% in Tata Sons, died in a car accident in 2022.

One of his former advisers told Reuters this week that the Tata Trusts "without a doubt" exert unparalleled power over Tata Sons' functions, adding that they "work behind a veil."

Noel is an Irish citizen married to Mistry's sister.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Aditi Shah
Additional reporting by Krishn Kaushik and Tanvi Mehta
Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Frances Kerry)

(([email protected]; @adityakalra;))

By Tanvi Mehta

NEW DELHI, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people, including corporate leaders, politicians and celebrities, gathered in Mumbai on Thursday to pay their last respects to one of India's most respected business tycoons, Ratan Tata, who died aged 86.

Known for his exemplary business acumen and philanthropic nature, as chairman he led various companies under the Tata conglomerate for more than 20 years, which had revenue of $165 billion in 2023-24.

Although in recent years Tata was not as active in the day-to-day running of the group, he was consulted on big decisions by the Tata Sons leadership, a senior company executive told Reuters.

Tata had been in a Mumbai hospital since Monday, but the cause of his death was not immediately made public.

After his death, tributes poured in from around the world, underlining his popularity that transcended boundaries and generations.

"India and the world have lost a giant with a giant heart," U.S. ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on X.

"He ... was instrumental in mentoring and developing the modern business leadership in India. He deeply cared about making India better," Google GOOGL.O Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said.

Draped in the Indian national flag, Ratan Tata's body was kept at a cultural centre in Mumbai, and his funeral will be conducted later in the day with full state honours.

India's central bank governor Shaktikanta Das, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla were among early visitors to pay their last respects to the Padma Vibhushan awardee - India's second-highest civilian honour.

A licensed pilot who would occasionally fly the company plane, Tata never married and was known for his quiet demeanour, relatively modest lifestyle and philanthropic work.

"We will remember his legacy of transformative giving to Cornell," his alma mater Cornell University said on X, calling Tata their most generous international donor.

(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Michael Perry)

(([email protected]; https://twitter.com/TanviMehta710;))

Oct 9 (Reuters) - Ratan Tata, the former Tata Group chairman who put a staid and sprawling Indian conglomerate on the global stage with a string of high-profile acquisitions, has died, Tata Group said in a statement late on Wednesday. He was 86.

(Reporting by Abhirup Roy and Gursimran Kaur; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Chris Reese)

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Oct 8 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies Ltd TATE.NS:

• CO, BMW GROUP ESTABLISH BMW TECHWORKS INDIA - A JOINT VENTURE

• BMW JV TO DRIVE AUTOMOTIVE SOFTWARE AND BUSINESS IT INNOVATIONS

• JV TARGETING FOUR-DIGIT WORKFORCE BY END OF 2025

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSEbQCSpb

Further company coverage: TATE.NS

(([email protected];;))

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.

By Shritama Bose

MUMBAI, Sept 20(Reuters Breakingviews) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent much of the past decade lowering barriers to foreign investment in India. Yet a growing list of firms including BlackRock BLK.N, BMW BMWG.DE and Shein are expanding in the country in partnership with local tycoons. It tightens the grip powerful families have on the world’s fifth-largest economy, and sets them up as future global rivals to those knocking on their door.

On paper, the once-markedly socialist country is open for business. Its craving for capital is strong. Overseas companies in most sectors are free to enter the market on their own, unlike in China, where large swathes of the economy were kept off limits and where some sectors, like autos, were opened up on the condition that foreign companies found local partners.

The problem is, India’s federal political system and sheer cultural and geographical diversity means it remains a tricky place for international companies. Powerful families offer a shortcut to establishing a nationwide footprint, avoiding cut-throat domestic competition, or achieving both of those things.

BlackRock’s decision to re-enter India exemplifies the dilemma. The company run by Larry Fink, which manages over $10 trillion, is in the process of teaming up with Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Financial Services JIOF.NS in asset and wealth management. The U.S. company exited an Indian joint venture with DSP in 2018 because it didn’t have a path to control.

Fink is unlikely to have a path to control with Jio but the rapid financialisation of savings in recent years means the market is too attractive for BlackRock to ignore. Partnering with a tycoon is less risky for the U.S. company than trying to beat India’s richest man who wants to push into financial services and is known for obliterating competition.

The desire of foreign companies to defend their market position in India partly explains their rush to subscribe to fundraisings by Reliance’s RS.N business units in 2020. These include Facebook-owner Meta Platforms' META.O $5.7 billion purchase of a 10% stake in Reliance’s digital and telecoms business. India remains open for U.S. Big Tech but Indian companies are also flexing their muscles more in digital businesses from telecoms to e-commerce as more Indians get smartphones.

Elsewhere, New Delhi is encouraging partnerships through subsidies in its flagship production-linked incentive scheme to spur manufacturing. This allows the government to dictate which foreign companies team up with which Indian families to be the next leaders in future industries.

Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry 2317.TW, more widely known as Foxconn, pulled out of a joint venture last year to make chips with Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta VDAN.NS after widespread concerns about the Indian company’s debt and its ability to fund investments. Meanwhile, global companies like French oil giant TotalEnergies TTEF.PA are burnishing their green credentials by partnering with Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, who has big ambitions in renewable energy. Smoother access to subsidies is one reason companies including Japan’s Fujifilm 4901.T are scouting for local partners before they start production in India.

It’s significant that many of the new partnerships are in the realm of technology. Adani’s group will work with Israel’s Tower Semiconductor TSEM.TA to build a chip fabrication plant; German carmaker BMW and Tata Technologies TATE.NS plan to leverage Indian talent in IT to develop intellectual property that will drive cars of the future.

While India’s approach to inward investment differs from China’s in many ways, the country desires the same thing as its neighbour wanted from foreign multinationals: know-how.

The government yearns for the South Asian nation to become a manufacturing powerhouse. India’s leading business families also want to dominate in their home market and to break out as leaders on the global stage. After picking up a stake in UK telecom operator BT BT.L last month, Bharti Enterprises Chair Sunil Bharti Mittal told journalists India's government is continuously encouraging a handful of companies which have gone global to accelerate the process.

That sets up the potential for at least some of the new Indian alliances to sour, just as several Chinese joint ventures did. True, some foreign companies that ventured into the People’s Republic simply failed to keep up with fast-changing local consumer preferences. Others, though, said they were pressured into handing over technology to their private or state-backed joint venture partners, to local officials or to Chinese regulators as a condition for doing in business in the world’s second-largest economy.

That complaint took centre stage in a trade war launched in 2018 by then U.S. President Donald Trump. When Stellantis STLAM.MI ended its joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group 601238.SS in 2022, the European carmaker’s CEO Carlos Tavares blamed rising “political influence” in doing business with partners in China.

It is therefore perhaps unsurprising that Chinese companies have the least freedom to operate on their own in India. The government turned up the heat on companies from the People’s Republic after a deadly skirmish between the two countries’ militaries along the Himalayan border in 2020. This tension has resulted in some particularly eye-catching joint ventures struck by Chinese companies that want to continue to expand in the fast-growing Indian market.

Four years after New Delhi banned Shein’s app, the fast-fashion company which was founded in China is back in partnership with Ambani’s $240 billion Reliance Industries. Together they plan to digitise the supply chains of the conglomerate’s retailer, manufacture goods and export them to the world. Similarly, less than two years since India launched an investigation into a local unit of Chinese automotive giant SAIC Motor 600104.SS, the company finalised a joint venture in March to sell its MG-branded cars in partnership with Sajjan Jindal’s JSW Group.

New arrivals at least have some examples of successful foreign joint ventures in India to aspire to. Take $46 billion Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, purveyor of 40% of the country’s cars. This partnership with Japan’s Suzuki Motor 7269.T has delivered yearly returns to shareholders over the past decade, including dividends, which exceed those of the benchmark Nifty 50 Index. Meanwhile, Adani Wilmar ADAW.NS, the Adani group’s partnership with Singapore’s Wilmar WLIL.SI, established a quarter of a century ago, is behind India’s largest selling edible oil brand.

Outside of joint ventures, some foreign companies have had more luck than others on their own in India. South Korea’s Samsung 005930.KS has had remarkable success selling smartphones and held a leading position in the consumer electronics market for a long time, but British telecom operator Vodafone VOD.L struggled with a price war and merged with India’s Idea Cellular in 2018. Whether or not India is open for business, foreign business alliances are accumulating even more power in the hands of the country’s leading tycoons.

Follow @ShritamaBose on X

(Editing by Una Galani and Ujjaini Dutta)

((For previous columns by the author, Reuters customers can click on BOSE/
[email protected]))

** Shares of Tata Technologies TATE.NS up 2.7%; among top gainers in Nifty mid-cap index .NIFMDCP100

** About 2.5 mln shares changed hands in multiple block deals as per LSEG

** Overall 13.3 mln shares change hands, sees most active session so far this year

** Stock down 12.7% YTD, eighth top loser in mid-cap 100 index, which is up 27.4%

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR in Bengaluru)

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July 18 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies Ltd TATE.NS:

• Q1 CONSOL NET PAT 1.62 BILLION RUPEES

• Q1 CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 12.69 BILLION RUPEES

Source text for Eikon: [ID:]

Further company coverage: TATE.NS

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June 18 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies Ltd TATE.NS:

• TATA TECHNOLOGIES COLLABORATES WITH MICROSOFT AND TATA MOTORS

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE13GmmN

Further company coverage: TATE.NS

(([email protected];;))

** Shares of Tata Technologies TATE.NS fall as much as 5% to 1,032.70 rupees; last down 3.5%

** The engineering and technology services provider reports a 27.4% fall in March-qtr consol net profit

** TATE on track for second straight session of losses, with trading vol on the day already equal to 30-day avg

** Avg rating of 7 analysts is "sell" on TATE; median PT is 920 rupees -LSEG data

** Stock down ~11% YTD, had lost 10% in 2023

(Reporting by Dimpal Gulwani in Bengaluru)

(([email protected]))

May 3 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies Ltd TATE.NS:

• MARCH-QUARTER CONSOL NET PAT 1.57 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 2.17 BILLION RUPEES

• MARCH-QUARTER CONSOL REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 13.01 BILLION RUPEES VERSUS 14.02 BILLION RUPEES

• DIVIDEND 8.4 RUPEES PER SHARE

• RE-APPOINTMENT OF WARREN KEVIN HARRIS AS CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR

• SPECIAL DIVIDEND OF 1.65 RUPEES PER SHARE

Further company coverage: TATE.NS

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Corrects typo to say "jumps" in headline

BENGALURU, April 12 (Reuters) - Bharti Hexacom's shares BHAX.NS surged 32.5% in their trading debut on Friday, valuing the Indian telecom operator at 377.50 billion rupees ($4.53 billion).

The stock opened at 755 rupees, compared with its initial public offering price of 570 rupees. Analysts had expected the stock to list at a premium of 10% to 15%.

The benchmark index Nifty 50 .NSEI was down 0.4%, while shares of Bharti Airtel BRTI.NS, India's No.2 telecom operator by subscribers, were down 0.6%.

The billionaire Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel owns 70% of Bharti Hexacom, which is the latest unit of a conglomerate to cash into investor appetite for public offerings as the stocks market hits record highs.

The Tata Group's Tata Technologies TATE.NS and JSW Group's JSW Infrastructure JSWN.NS had strong debuts late last year.

So far this year, 64 Indian companies have gone public, raising $2.31 billion cumulatively, compared with 42 companies raising $170.6 million in the same period last year, according to LSEG data.

Bankers expect the momentum to persist amid rapid economic growth and expectations of political stability.

While Bharti Airtel operates across India, Bharti Hexacom offers mobile, broadband and fixed-line telephone services under the "Airtel" brand in the northwestern state of Rajasthan and some parts of northeastern India.

The 42.75-billion rupee IPO was oversubscribed 29.88 times last week. Government-owned Telecommunications Consultants India sold half of its 30% stake in Bharti Hexacom in the IPO. The company itself did not issue fresh shares.

($1 = 83.3750 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

(([email protected]; https://twitter.com/ramavenkat0607; +91 8095218099;))

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

By Pranav Kiran

BENGALURU, April 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - India’s technology sector is primed for an artificial intelligence boost. Companies like BMW BMWG.DE are deepening their ties with the country’s IT and engineering services firms. That will help India take a bigger share of the global $4 trillion digital services trade.

Global firms are shifting focus to develop artificial intelligence capabilities and are relying more on their Indian offices to do so. Nearly 300,000 employees across U.S. tech companies were laid off in 2022 and 2023 according to Crunchbase research. Meanwhile, India-based roles formed a larger share of total hiring at tech titans like Alphabet GOOGL.O, Microsoft MSFT.O, Meta META.O and Amazon AMZN.O, as per data from staffing firm Xpheno. The country has over 50% share in the market known as global capability centres.

Those jobs are mostly back-office IT, finance, accounting and HR operations. But Indian workers are doing more complicated and higher-value tasks such as engineering research and development. Canadian insurer Sun Life Financial SLF.TO, for instance, relied on its local Indian office to develop AI tools, according to consulting firm Zinnov. BMW and outsourcing firm Tata Technologies TATE.NS recently formed an auto software joint venture in Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai. By 2026, companies are expected to hire more than a million data science and AI workers in the country, according to industry lobby Nasscom. That should boost India's exports of software, valued at $320 billion, or 11% of the global total.

It helps that the country has the biggest talent pool of data science and AI workers after the United States, according to Nasscom and consulting firm Draup. Moreover, the supply of general software engineers jumped 15% to 3 million in 2022, putting the country nearly on par with China, and at much cheaper costs.

All this bodes well for the country's IT outsourcing sector, which accounts for 7.5% of India's GDP. Shares of industry leaders Tata Consultancy Services TCS.NS and HCL Technologies HCLT.NS have rallied over 23% and 38% respectively in the past year. The latter's stock now trades on 23 times forecast next 12-months earnings, per LSEG data, well above its five-year average of 18 times.

With global CEOs increasing spending in all things AI-related, India's tech engine is primed for a upgrade.

Follow @PranavKiranBV on X

CONTEXT NEWS

The BMW Group and Tata Technologies announced on April 2 that they have signed an agreement to form a joint venture to establish an automotive software and IT development hub in Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai.

(Editing by Robyn Mak and Katrina Hamlin)

((For previous columns by the author, Reuters customers can click on KIRAN/
[email protected]; Reuters Messaging: [email protected]@reuters.net))

** India's Tata Technologies TATE.NS up 4.7% to 1,100 rupees

** The engineering and technology services provider said on Tuesday that it will form a joint venture for software development with Germany's BMW Group BMWG.DE

** TATE, however, did not disclose any financial details of the agreement

** Tata Technologies and the BMW Group will each hold a 50% stake in the newly-formed company, co added

** Stock on track for second consecutive session of gains, if trend holds

** More than 1.4 mln shares change hands by 10:13 a.m. IST, 1.3x the 30-day avg

** Average rating of six analysts covering TATE is "hold", their median PT is 975 rupees - LSEG data

(Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya in Bengaluru)

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BENGALURU, Jan 25 (Reuters) - India's Tata Technologies TATE.NS reported a near-15% climb in profit in its first results since going public, helped by strong demand from the automobile sector.

The unit of Tata Motors TAMO.NS reported a consolidated net profit of 1.70 billion rupees ($20.5 million) for the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared to 1.48 billion rupees a year ago.

The company, the first Tata Group entity to go public in nearly two decades, was valued at $6.4 billion in a smashing debut in November.

Tata Technologies provides engineering and technology services to auto, aero and heavy machinery makers.

Analysts at JM Financial said companies such as Tata Technologies stand to benefit from the automotive sector's push towards electrification and digitisation.

"We remain positive on customer spending in the automotive vertical as original equipment manufacturers continue to pivot towards electrification and other alternative propulsion systems. The aerospace industry is looking upbeat, with a good pickup in demand there," CEO Warren Harris said in a statement.

The company said it won five large deals in the quarter, including one contract valued at over $50 million.

Its revenue from operations rose 14.7% to 12.89 billion rupees, led by a 9.3% revenue growth in its services segment, which accounted for nearly 78% of revenue.

Meanwhile, expenses rose 14.5%, though it came in at a lower 10.85 billion rupees. The company attributed it mainly to higher purchases of technology solutions and employee-related expenses.

Shares of Tata Technologies closed marginally higher ahead of the results. Though they have fallen 12.8% since listing, they are still 129% higher than the initial public offer price of 500 rupees.

Rival KPIT Technologies KPIE.NS is set to report its results on Tuesday.

($1 = 83.0820 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)

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BENGALURU, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Tata Technologies TATE.NS will invest 150 billion rupees ($1.80 billion) in the Indian state of Telangana to set up government-affiliated skilling centres, the state government said on Thursday.

The investment from the unit of Tata Motors TAMO.NS is the second commitment to the Telangana government in two days after the Adani Group announced a $1.49 billion investment on Wednesday.

Indian states have received a slew of pledges for investment from companies including Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS in the past week at business events such as the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit and the World Economic Forum.

Tata Technologies, which provides engineering services to auto, aero and heavy machinery makers, will set up skilling centres in 50 government-run industry training organisations.

The salt-to-aviation conglomerate also is close to announcing plans to build a semiconductor fabrication plant in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, Tata Sons' chairman said last week.

The latest investment is part of a larger commitment from Tata Group companies, such as Tata Consultancy Services TCS.NS and Tata Advanced Systems, to expand in the state.

"Tata Group is expanding its Air India fleet and has plans to increase both domestic and international connections from Hyderabad," the state government said in a statement.

It did not provide details on the other Tata investments.

($1 = 83.1150 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Varun Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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By M. Sriram

MUMBAI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Hopes of policy stability in India after victories for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party in key state polls this month should extend a boom in initial public offerings (IPO) into 2024 as companies rush to tap investor demand, bankers say.

The $6.8 billion raised by Indian IPOs so far this year is 16% less than in all of 2022, Dealogic data shows, but outperforms a plunge of 36%, to about $5 billion, in Hong Kong listings, which are set for their weakest year in two decades.

The victory of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in three of four major Indian states gives it a boost ahead of general elections due by May, and expectations of stability will spur more fundraising in 2024, bankers said.

"The state election outcome was more positive than expected, and has given investors more conviction leading up to the final elections, boosting confidence," said Subhrajit Roy, India head of global capital markets for Bank of America.

At least five companies plan to raise $500 million each, or more, in India listings next year, including three backed by SoftBank - Ola Electric, retailer FirstCry, and food delivery firm Swiggy.

More than a dozen others, from lenders to drugmakers and technology firms, have hastened preparation work on IPOs after the state poll results, bankers say, without identifying them.

"Issuers are stepping up the pace on their listing timeline to tap the current market sentiment," said Mahesh Natarajan, Nomura India head of equity capital markets. "The number of deals in the pipeline has multiplied as compared to last year."

India's market benchmark Sensex .BSESN is up nearly 17% this year and stands at a record, after having risen for seven straight weeks until last week, in its longest winning run since January 2018.

India's market share of IPO volumes has also grown this year amid economic slowdown and geopolitical concerns in China and a slump in U.S. listings.

India's share of global IPO proceeds is at an all-time high of 5.98%, Dealogic says, almost doubling in two years, while its share of Asia IPO proceeds has also grown to 9.9% this year from 5.9% in 2018.

RECORD YEAR

The year's major new Indian listings included Mankind Pharma MNKI.NS, which raised $500 million in May, the same month that saw Nexus Malls NEXE.NS raise $400 million, while Tata Technologies raised $360 million in November.

The fundraising activity has also been boosted by domestic growth that has beaten estimates, along with upward revisions of economists' projections, making the country a rare bright spot for global investors.

"India's relevance to the world is ever-increasing, as one among the few economies continuing to outperform against a global slowdown," Nomura's Natarajan said.

Other IPO hopefuls in 2024 include Warburg Pincus-backed India First Life Insurance, which is eyeing a January listing, while National Securities Depository Ltd is targeting a listing in the first quarter, two sources with direct knowledge said.

Both companies, which received regulatory approval for their IPOs more than six months ago, did not respond to queries seeking comment.

Top bankers are seeing multiple pitches every week, and expect the momentum to continue into 2024.

"This is the most momentum we have seen in at least 18 months ... all the signs are there for a record year (in 2024). India's bullishness seems given today," Bank of America's Roy said.

($1=83.1930 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by M. Sriram in Mumbai; Additional reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Clarence Fernandez)

(([email protected];; Reuters Messaging: Twitter: @followthemani))

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are their own. Refiles to add coding.

HONG KONG, Dec 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Electric-car marque Zeekr, controlled by China’s largest private auto group Zhejiang Geely, has hit a roadblock. It is putting on hold its New York initial public offering because of a mismatch in valuation expectations, Reuters reported on Thursday. It was hoped the listing would break the ice and encourage a resurgence in Chinese volumes in U.S. capital markets. The deal was expected to raise less than $500 million: that would potentially nearly double the total Chinese issuance stateside so far this year, per Dealogic.

Zeekr’s timing wasn’t bad. Its prospectus was published in November, when global stocks recorded their best performance since 2020. It was the same month President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden met and put a floor under the Sino-American relationship. Globally, investors remain keen on the sector too. Tesla’s TSLA.O shares are up 95% this year and those of Tata Technologies TATE.NS, an EV servicing firm, nearly tripled on their debut in Mumbai this week.

Yet Zeekr may have struggled to match the $13 billion valuation it achieved in a February funding round because its growth hinges on expansion into Europe and the United States, where policymakers are increasingly wary of Chinese carmakers gaining traction. Other China-linked names expanding rapidly around the world and planning public debuts like fast-fashion giant Shein will take note. (By Katrina Hamlin)

Follow @Breakingviews on X

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** India's Tata Technologies TATE.NS and Gandhar Oil Refinery (India) GADH.NS make strong debut in Mumbai market

** TATE surges 140% in trading debut at 1,200 rupees, valuing the engineering and technology services provider at 486.80 bln rupees; issue price was 500 rupees

** GADH climbs 76% to 298 rupees at open, valuing it at 29.17 bln rupees

** White oils maker's 5 bln rupees IPO was subscribed 64 times, with issue price at 169 rupees

** GADH was trading up 83% at 308.55 rupees as of 10:09 a.m IST

** Fedbank Financial Services FEDB.NS made relatively subdued debut on Thursday, falling 1.4% at open at 138 rupees vs issue price of 140 rupees

** Non-banking financial co Fedbank's 10.92 bln rupees IPO was oversubscribed 2.2x

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR in Bengaluru)

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