Tata Agrees to Become a Co-primary Shareholder in Piaggio Aero

Subject to approvals, Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. will be owned almost equally by the three co-primary shareholders.

Tata Limited, a UK based subsidiary of Tata Sons, has been representing Tata Sons in Europe since 1907. Tata Sons, based in India, is the promoter of various Tata companies which collectively had revenue of $62.5 billion during 2007-08 and employ around 350,000 people worldwide.

The proposed investment by Tata Limited consists of purchasing existing shares and new share capital subscription.

Tata Limited will have three of the nine seats on the Board of Piaggio Aero, and one of the three seats on the company’s Executive Management Committee. The valuation and other financial terms of the investment are not disclosed.

The proposed investment is founded on a shared belief by Tata Limited and Piaggio Aero shareholders that the business aviation market will continue to expand significantly. The increased share capital will enable Piaggio Aero to harness market growth, expanding production rates and offering the P180 Avanti II to new markets.

The industrial expertise residing within the Tata companies will strengthen growth plans, which include establishing a strong market presence in India, where the Government is targeting establishment of 500 fully operational airports by 2020, as compared to less than 100 at present.

“We are really honoured that Tata Limited has chosen to invest in Piaggio Aero Industries, becoming our co-primary shareholder. We are heavily engaged in strategic planning for the development of the company. Tata Limited’s involvement in our projects would be extremely gratifying and allow us to increase the success of recent years. The future for Piaggio Aero is bright and with the support of world-class investors and strategic partners like Mubadala Development Company and Tata Limited” Said Piero Ferrari, Piaggio Aero Industries Chairman.

“We are confident that the Company’s proposed new shareholding structure which now, with Tata Limited and Mubadala Development Company, would allow Piaggio Aero to execute its strategic development plan in a growing business environment,” he added.