Havells India to buy Lloyd Electric’s consumer durables biz for ₹1,600 cr
Lighting and electrical appliances company Havells India Ltd on Sunday said it will acquire the consumer durables business of Lloyd Electrical and Engineering Ltd, run by the BR Punj Group, for ₹1,600 crore.
Havells signed the deal with Lloyd Electrical and Engineering and Fedders Lloyd Corporation Ltd, as some of the consumer durable brands are co-owned by the two companies promoted by the BR Punj Group.
Havells CMD Anil Rai Gupta said in a phone interview that the company will fund the transaction with internal resources and ₹600-800 crore of debt. The deal is expected to close in two months.
The consumer durables division of Lloyd Electrical called Lloyd Consumer is engaged in sourcing, assembling, marketing and distribution of products such as air-conditioners, televisions, washing machines and other household appliances.
A statement by Havells said the acquisition is at an enterprise value of ₹1,600 crore on a debtfree, cash-free basis subject to closing adjustments. Any debt this division may have at the time of transfer as a going concern, will be deducted from the trans- action value of ₹1,600 crore. The acquisition covers consumer business infrastructure, distribution network and intellectual property relating to brand Lloyd.
In the nine months ended December 31, this division reported ₹1,242 crore revenue and Ebitda of ₹75 crore. Ebitda stands for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, and is a measure of operating profitability. Havells said that based on its run rate and past performance, full-year revenue is estimated at ₹1,850 crore with Ebitda of ₹110 crore.
Gupta of Havells said that after the acquisition, Lloyd Consumer will remain a division of Havells but its brand name will be preserved. Havells is also in the process of adding personal grooming products to its portfolio.
The $15-billion consumer durables industry contracted 10.3% in the December quarter, against a growth of 16.6% a year ago, according to official data.
“Unlike in fast-moving consumer goods, a blip in sales does not necessarily suggest lost sales in the case of consumer goods, which are of high value in nature. It could indicate deferment of purchase to a future date,” said Pinakiranjan Mishra, partner and sector leader, consumer products and retail, EY.