Reliance Communications Shares Plunge 9% After Aircel Merger Deal Falls Through

Shares of Reliance Communications (RCom) today slumped over 9 per cent in morning trade on the bourses after the company called off merger with Aircel due to regulatory hurdles.

Reliance Communications, on October 1, had called off merger talks with Aircel, citing "legal and regulatory" delays.

Reacting to the news, the stock of RCom today opened on a weak note at Rs. 18.70, lost further ground and fell to an early-day low of Rs. 17.45, down 9.11 per cent over its previous closing price.

Similar movement was seen on the National Stock Exchange, where the stock opened at Rs. 18.65, fell to a low of Rs. 17.70, down 7.81 per cent over its last close.

RCom and Aircel had signed binding agreements in September 2016 for the merger of mobile business.

RCom, which is reeling under a debt of about Rs. 46,000 crore, has outlined an alternative plan for debt reduction by selling real estate as well as tower and fibre business.

"Legal and regulatory uncertainties, and various interventions by vested interests have caused inordinate delays in receipt of relevant approvals for the proposed transaction," RCom had said in a statement.

As of 12.35 pm, RCom shares traded 5.73 per cent lower at Rs. 18.10, compared to 0.75 per cent gain in the broader Nifty.