CCI Approves Acquisition Of Highways Infrastructure Trust

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed acquisition of an additional unit holding in Highways Infrastructure Trust by 2452991 Ontario Limited and the acquisition of an equity stake in Highway Concessions One Private by 2743298 Ontario.

2452991 Ontario (OTPP 1) and 2743298 Ontario (OTPP 2) are solely controlled by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPPB). OTPPB administrates pension benefits and the investment of pension plan assets of active and retired teachers in the Canadian province of Ontario worldwide, stated an official release.

Highways Infrastructure Trust (Target Trust) is an infrastructure investment trust registered with the Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) under the Sebi (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014 (InvIT Regulations). The Target Trust currently owns six (6) road assets in India, engaged in the business of operating roads and highways in India.

Highway Concessions One Private (HC One) is a company incorporated in India with the objective of managing and operating road assets in India. HC One is the investment manager of the Target Trust under the InvIT Regulations and undertakes activities in accordance with Regulation 10 of the InvIT Regulations, including making investment decisions with respect to the underlying assets/projects of the Target Trust and overseeing the activities of the project manager of the Target Trust with respect to compliance with the InvIT Regulations and the project management agreement entered into by it.

The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of additional unitholding in the Target Trust by OTPP 1 and the separate acquisition of an equity stake in HC One by OTPP 2 (Proposed Combination). (ANI)