Rakesh Gangwal's Strategic Stake Sale in IndiGo Shakes Market

Rakesh Gangwal, a promoter of InterGlobe Aviation, executed a significant financial move by divesting a 5.7% stake in India's largest airline, IndiGo. This transaction, orchestrated through a block deal and involving esteemed investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan, amassed around Rs 11,559 crore (USD 1.36 billion).

The shares, sold at a final price of Rs 5,230.50 per share, were traded at a 3.5% discount from the previous day's closing price. The block deal involved 2.21 crore equity shares, a figure revised from the initially indicated 1.32 crore shares. This sale is a phase in Gangwal's systematic reduction of his stake in the airline, an initiative linked to prior corporate governance conflicts with co-founder Rahul Bhatia.

Historical sell-offs include a 5.24% stake sale in August 2024 and earlier divestments totaling billions of rupees. This strategic move comes with a 150-day lock-up period, with certain clauses allowing substantial share transfers to a single investor group, highlighting Gangwal's meticulous planning in reshaping his financial engagements with the airline.

(With inputs from agencies.)