HDFC Life to acquire Exide Life Insurance for Rs 6,687 cr

Private life insurer HDFC Life Insurance Friday said it will acquire Exide Life Insurance from Exide Industries in a deal worth Rs 6,687 crore.

“The board of directors of HDFC Life Insurance Company (HDFC Life), Exide Industries, and Exide Life Insurance Company… approved the transaction involving the sale of Exide Life Insurance to HDFC Life,” HDFC Life said in a release.

HDFC Life will acquire a 100 percent stake in Exide Life Insurance from Exide Industries via issuance of 8,70,22,222 shares at an issue price of Rs 685 per share and a cash payout of Rs 726 crore aggregating to Rs 6,687 crore.

The process for the merger of Exide Life into HDFC Life will be initiated on completion of the acquisition, the insurer said in the release.

The closure of the proposed transaction will be subject to approval by relevant regulators including the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Competition Commission of India (CCI), National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), stock exchanges, and approval by the shareholders of HDFC Life and Exide Industries.

“This is a landmark transaction, first of its kind, in the Indian life insurance space. It would enhance insurance penetration and further our purpose of providing financial protection to a wider customer base,” HDFC Life Chairman Deepak Parekh said in the release. HDFC Life MD-CEO Vibha Padalkar said the amalgamation can result in value creation for customers, employees, shareholders, and distribution partners.

“It gives us an opportunity to realize synergies arising out of complementary business models, and further bolster our proprietary distribution network,” she said.

The proposed transaction will give customers access to a wider bouquet of products and service touchpoints.

Exide Life has a strong foothold in South India, especially in tier 2 and 3 towns.

The embedded value of Exide Life, as of June 30, 2021, is Rs 2,711 crore and has been reviewed by Willis Towers Watson Actuarial Advisory LLP, it said.