IHH Healthcare Completes Stalled Open Offer in Fortis Healthcare Saga

In a major development, Malaysia's IHH Healthcare has maintained the price for its anticipated open offer at Rs 170 per share for a 26% stake in Fortis Healthcare. The offer, along with an interest of Rs 53.8 per share for eligible shareholders, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, as stated in a regulatory filing.

Recently, IHH announced that India's Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has cleared its previously stalled open offer. This comes seven years after IHH initially acquired a 31.1% stake in the Indian hospital chain in 2018. The SEBI's approval now allows the eligible public shareholders of Fortis to receive interest at 10% per annum from the 2022 Supreme Court of India order to the actual payment date.

The journey began in 2018 when IHH sealed a Rs 4,000-crore deal, outbidding competitors, to acquire a significant stake in Fortis. However, a Supreme Court order soon put a halt to IHH's additional stake purchase due to a legal contest involving former promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh and Daiichi Sankyo concerning Ranbaxy Laboratories' acquisition.

(With inputs from agencies.)