Zydus Wellness, Cadila Healthcare To Buy Heinz India For Rs 4,600 Crore

Zydus Wellness and Cadila Healthcare on Wednesday announced acquisition of Heinz India for Rs 4,595 crore. The deal, Zydus Wellness and Cadila Healthcare said in a joint statement, will include acquisition of brands Complan, Glucon D, Nycil and Sampriti. Consumer healthcare Zydus Wellness said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Heinz India, a subsidiary of US-based Kraft Heinz, jointly with Cadila Healthcare. The transaction is proposed to be financed through a mix of equity and debt.

The valuation of Rs 4,595 crore includes net working capital of Rs 40 crore, cash of Rs 15 crore and assumes no debt, the statement added.

Zydus Wellness said the deal will unlock value for the company by enriching its portfolio and expanding its reach. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of current financial year subject to regulatory approvals, said Zydus Wellness. It also said the transaction is expected to be EPS- or earnings per share-accretive, which means the deal is expected to add to its earnings.

"This is an exciting time. This development offers immense opportunity to broaden our portfolio and invest in brands and products that we believe are most relevant to health conscious consumers... This acquisition will be an ideal addition to Zydus Wellness, supporting our aspirations to grow in the consumer wellness space by providing multiple choices to consumers," Zydus Wellness chairman Sharvil Patel said.

After the acquisition, Zydus Wellness said it will have consolidated revenue of about Rs 1,700 crore "making it one of the strongest players in the fast growing consumer healthcare mark".

At 12:49 pm, shares in Zydus Wellness were trading 1.6 per cent higher at Rs 1,276 apiece and those in Cadila Healthcare were down 4.1 per cent at Rs 362 on the NSE. The Nifty - the 50-scrip NSE benchmark index - was up 0.5 per cent at 10,198, after giving up most of the day's gains.