Anshuman Daga
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Dark horse Satyam wins race to acquire Satyam
The uncertainty over the future of Satyam Computer Services is finally over, at least for now.
Tech Mahindra, part of Indian business group Mahindra & Mahindra, won the race to acquire Satyam Computer Services on Monday, in a deal that’ll help the mid-sized outsourcer gain in size and also lift clarity on Satyam’s fate.
In a race that saw only a handful of bidders, Tech Mahindra beat rivals such as engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro and U.S.-listed Cognizant Technologies. Tech Mahindra agreed to buy a 31 percent stake in Satyam at 58 rupees, a 23 percent premium to Satyam’s last closing price.
Tech Mahindra, established more than 20 years ago as a joint venture between Mahindra & Mahindra & British Telecom, faces the daunting task of reshaping Satyam, a company at the heart of India’s biggest corporate scandal.
Ever since Satyam’s founder Ramalinga Raju shocked markets by disclosing the $1 billion-plus fraud, there have been numerous reports of Satyam’s employees jumping ship and some clients cutting back on orders to Satyam. The company’s accounts are also still being restated and its U.S. liabilities are unclear.
Will the government continue to keep a close eye on Satyam? What’s going to be the fate of Satyam’s employees and clients? Will the Tech Mahindra-Satyam combination be able to grab market share from leaders Tata Consultancy, Infosys Technologies and Wipro? These are issues which Tech Mahindra will need some answers pretty soon?
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