Millennium Sustainable Ventures Corp. - Quarter Report: 2007 September (Form 10-Q)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark
One)
S
|
Quarterly
report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934
|
|
For
the quarterly period ended September 30,
2007
|
OR
*
|
Transition
report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934
|
|
For
the transition period from ______________ to ______________
|
Commission
file number: 001-32931
MILLENNIUM
INDIA ACQUISITION COMPANY INC.
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware
|
20-4531310
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number)
|
330
East 38th Street, Suite 40H
New
York, New York 10016
|
|
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices, Including Zip Code)
|
|
(212)
681-6763
|
|
(Registrant’s
Telephone Number, Including Area
Code)
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12
months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file
such
reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past
90 days. Yes S
No *
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated
filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
(Check one):
Large
accelerated filer o
|
Accelerated
filer o
|
Non-accelerated
filer x
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes S
No *
As
of
November 5, 2007, 9,512,500 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per
share,
were issued and outstanding.
PART
I – FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial
Statements
Millennium
India Acquisition Company, Inc.
Condensed
Balance Sheets
September
30, 2007
|
December
31, 2006
|
|||||||
(unaudited)
|
(Note 2)
|
|||||||
ASSETS
|
||||||||
Current
Assets:
|
||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$ |
637,358
|
$ |
443,516
|
||||
U.S.
Government Securities held in Trust Fund
|
57,574,293
|
57,004,924
|
||||||
Total
current assets
|
58,211,651
|
57,448,440
|
||||||
Deferred
acquisition costs
|
847,790
|
—
|
||||||
Restricted
cash
|
137,973
|
—
|
||||||
Other
assets
|
12,508
|
14,314
|
||||||
Total
assets
|
$ |
59,209,922
|
$ |
57,462,754
|
||||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
||||||||
Current
Liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
$ |
768,874
|
$ |
101,364
|
||||
Accrued
acquisition costs
|
787,990
|
—
|
||||||
Income
taxes payable
|
165,993
|
194,000
|
||||||
Deferred
underwriting fees
|
1,557,500
|
1,557,500
|
||||||
Total
current liabilities
|
3,280,357
|
1,852,864
|
||||||
Common
stock, subject to possible conversion to cash (1,449,275
shares at conversion value) (Note 4)
|
11,486,285
|
11,326,834
|
||||||
Value
of private placement warrants, subject to possible
rescission
|
2,250,000
|
2,250,000
|
||||||
Commitments
|
||||||||
Stockholders’
Equity:
|
||||||||
Preferred
stock, par value $.0001 per share, 5,000 shares authorized,
0 shares issued
|
—
|
—
|
||||||
Common
stock, par value $.0001 per share, 45,000,000 shares authorized,
7,613,225
shares issued and outstanding (excluding 1,449,275 shares subject
to
possible conversion)
|
761
|
761
|
||||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
44,211,714
|
44,371,165
|
||||||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(2,019,195 | ) | (2,338,870 | ) | ||||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
42,193,280
|
42,033,056
|
||||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
|
$ |
59,209,922
|
$ |
57,462,754
|
See
Accompanying Notes to Condensed Financial Statements
–
2
–
Millennium
India Acquisition Company, Inc.
Condensed
Statements of Operations
For
the three
months
ended
September
30,
2007
|
For
the three
months
ended
September
30,
2006
|
For
the nine
months
ended
September
30,
2007
|
From
inception
(March
15, 2006)
to
September 30,
2006
|
|||||||||||||
(unaudited)
|
(unaudited)
|
(unaudited)
|
(unaudited)
|
|||||||||||||
Revenue:
|
||||||||||||||||
Interest
income
|
$ |
13,488
|
$ |
8,082
|
$ |
30,607
|
$ |
8,082
|
||||||||
Interest
income on Trust Fund
|
502,068
|
491,650
|
2,000,332
|
491,650
|
||||||||||||
Total
revenue
|
515,556
|
499,732
|
2,030,939
|
499,732
|
||||||||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
||||||||||||||||
General
and administrative expenses
|
444,626
|
374,932
|
1,538,154
|
412,645
|
||||||||||||
Charge
related to sale of common stock
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
2,700,549
|
||||||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
(444,626 | ) | (374,932 | ) | (1,538,154 | ) | (3,113,194 | ) | ||||||||
Income
(loss) before provision for income taxes
|
70,930
|
124,800
|
492,785
|
(2,613,462 | ) | |||||||||||
Provision
for income taxes
|
28,020
|
34,000
|
173,110
|
34,000
|
||||||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
42,910
|
90,800
|
319,675
|
(2,647,462 | ) | |||||||||||
Accretion
of Trust Fund relating to common stock, subject to possible conversion
to
cash (Note 4)
|
(66,786 | ) |
—
|
(159,451 | ) |
—
|
||||||||||
Net
income (loss) accorded to common stockholders
|
$ | (23,876 | ) | $ |
90,800
|
$ |
160,224
|
$ | (2,647,462 | ) | ||||||
Weighted
average number of shares
outstanding
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
7,613,225
|
5,786,459
|
7,613,225
|
2,952,601
|
||||||||||||
Diluted
|
7,613,225
|
6,891,996
|
9,514,012
|
2,952,601
|
||||||||||||
Net
income (loss) per share:
|
||||||||||||||||
Basic
|
$ |
—
|
$ |
0.02
|
$ |
0.02
|
$ | (0.90 | ) | |||||||
Diluted
|
$ |
—
|
$ |
0.01
|
$ |
0.02
|
$ | (0.90 | ) | |||||||
Number
of shares outstanding subject to possible conversion, basic and
diluted
|
1,449,275
|
1,449,275
|
1,449,275
|
1,449,275
|
||||||||||||
Net
income per share subject to possible conversion, basic and
diluted
|
$ |
0.05
|
—
|
$ |
0.11
|
—
|
See
Accompanying Notes to Condensed Financial Statements
–
3
–
Millennium
India Acquisition Company, Inc.
Condensed
Statements of Cash Flows
For
the nine
months
ended
September
30,
2007
|
From
inception
(March
15, 2006)
to
September 30,
2006
|
|||||||
(unaudited)
|
(unaudited)
|
|||||||
OPERATING
ACTIVITIES
|
||||||||
Net
income (loss)
|
$ |
319,675
|
$ | (2,647,462 | ) | |||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
||||||||
Charge
related to sale of common stock
|
—
|
2,700,549
|
||||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
||||||||
Accrued
interest income on Trust Fund
|
(569,369 | ) | (213,396 | ) | ||||
Other
assets
|
1,806
|
(14,917 | ) | |||||
Deferred
acquisition costs
|
(59,800 | ) |
—
|
|||||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
667,510
|
77,454
|
||||||
Income
taxes payable
|
(28,007 | ) |
34,000
|
|||||
Restricted
cash
|
(137,973 | ) |
—
|
|||||
Net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
193,842
|
(63,772 | ) | |||||
INVESTING
ACTIVITIES
|
||||||||
Cash
contributed to Trust Fund
|
—
|
(56,662,500 | ) | |||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
—
|
(56,662,500 | ) | |||||
FINANCING
ACTIVITIES
|
||||||||
Proceeds
from issuance of common stock to initial stockholders
|
—
|
25,000
|
||||||
Proceeds
from issuance of common stock to initial stockholders
|
—
|
4,000
|
||||||
Rescission
of issuance of common stock to initial stockholders
|
—
|
(4,000 | ) | |||||
Proceeds
from notes payable to initial stockholders
|
—
|
144,000
|
||||||
Payment
of notes payable to initial stockholders
|
—
|
(144,000 | ) | |||||
Proceeds
from sale of warrants
|
—
|
2,250,000
|
||||||
Proceeds
from sale of Unit Purchase Option
|
—
|
100
|
||||||
Portion
of net proceeds from sale of units through public offering allocable
to shares of common stock, subject to possible
conversion
|
—
|
11,326,834
|
||||||
Net
proceeds from sale of units through public offering allocable
to:
|
||||||||
Deferred
underwriting fees
|
—
|
1,557,500
|
||||||
Stockholder’s
Equity
|
—
|
41,757,013
|
||||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
—
|
56,916,447
|
||||||
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
193,842
|
190,175
|
||||||
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
|
||||||||
Beginning
of period
|
443,516
|
—
|
||||||
End
of period
|
$ |
637,358
|
$ |
190,175
|
||||
Supplemental
disclosure of non-cash activity:
|
||||||||
Accrued
acquisition costs
|
$ |
787,990
|
$ |
—
|
See
Accompanying Notes to Condensed Financial Statements
–
4
–
Notes
to the Condensed Financial Statements
NOTE
1 — DISCUSSION
OF THE COMPANY’S ACTIVITIES
Organization
and Activities - Millennium India Acquisition Company Inc. (the “Company”) was
incorporated in Delaware on March 15, 2006 for the purpose of effecting
a
merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition or other similar transaction
(a “Business Combination”) with an operating business or businesses that have
operations primarily in India (a “Target Business”).
On
May
12, 2007, the Company entered into two substantially identical share
subscription agreements to acquire a 14.9% equity interest in each of SMC
Global
Securities Limited (“SMC”) and SAM Global Securities Limited (“SAM”) , that
collectively comprise the SMC Group of Companies (the “SMC Group” or the
“Group”), for the aggregate fixed sum of INR 1,638,996,077, or approximately
$41.68 million at an exchange rate of $1.00 = INR 39.32 as of October 29,
2007
using the noon buying rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New
York. On June 6, 2007, the Company acquired options, exercisable
within 30 days of the closing date of the share purchase transactions,
to
require the SMC Group to initiate regulatory approval proceedings that
would
permit the SMC Group to issue Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), in which
issuance the Company has the right to subscribe to such number of GDRs
as would
provide the Company, on conversion of the GDRs into equity shares, with
up to an
additional 6% equity interest in the SMC Group,
in
return for an aggregate payment of up to INR 659,998,420, or approximately
$16.79 million at the October 29, 2007 exchange rate. As the Company
does not currently intend to enter into any financing in connection with
such
option exercise, it would only subscribe to that number of GDRs that it
would be
able to purchase given its then-available capital. In this quarterly
report, the Company also refers to the proposed 14.9% investment in
the SMC Group as the “share purchase transactions,” and the share purchase
transactions together with the possible acquisition of up to an additional
6% of
the SMC Group as the “transactions.”
NOTE
2 — SUMMARY
OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Interim
Financial Statements - The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements
have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America and the rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial information. Accordingly,
the financial statements do not include all information and notes required
by
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
for
complete annual financial statements. In the opinion of the Company’s management,
the
accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments,
consisting of normal recurring adjustments, considered necessary for a
fair
presentation. Interim operating results are not necessarily indicative
of
results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2007 or for
any
subsequent period. These unaudited condensed financial statements should
be read
in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements as of and for the
year ended December 31, 2006 included in its annual report on Form 10-K
filed
with the SEC on March 30, 2007. The balance sheet data as of December 31,
2006
included in this Form 10-Q is derived from those audited financial statements.
Cash
and
Cash Equivalents - Cash and cash equivalents are deposits with financial
institutions as well as short term money market instruments with maturities
of
three months or less when purchased.
Deferred
Acquisition Costs - Costs related to the proposed acquisition of a minority
interest in the SMC Group are capitalized. In the event the
acquisition does not occur, the costs are expensed.
–
5
–
Net
Income (Loss) Per Share - Basic income (loss) per share is computed by
dividing
income (loss) available to common stockholders by the weighted average
common
shares outstanding for the period.
Calculation
of the weighted average common shares outstanding during the period is
based on
2,125,000 initial shares outstanding throughout the period from March 15,
2006
(inception) to September 30, 2007, 312,500 initial shares cancelled by
the
Company on July 20, 2006 (retroactively restated to July 25, 2006) and
7,250,000
common shares outstanding after the completion of the Offering on July
25, 2006.
Basic net income per share subject to possible conversion is calculated
by
dividing accretion of the Trust Fund relating to common stock subject to
possible conversion by 1,449,275 common shares subject to possible conversion.
Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur
if
securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted
into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then
shared
in the earnings of the entity.
The
Company experienced a loss accorded to common stockholders for the three
months
ended September 30, 2007. Accordingly, the effect of the assumed
exercise of all 9,500,000 outstanding warrants to purchase common stock
would be
anti-dilutive and has been excluded from the calculation of diluted loss
per
share for this period.
Income
Taxes - The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with Statement
of
Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 109 “Accounting for Income
Taxes”. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences
between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities
that
will result in future taxable or deductible amounts and are based on enacted
tax
laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary
to
reduce deferred income tax assets to the amount expected to be
realized.
Reclassifications
- Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the
current
period presentation.
Use
of
Estimates - The preparation of financial statements in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain
reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent
assets
and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported
amounts
of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could
differ
from those estimates.
New
Accounting Pronouncements - In July 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards
Board (“FASB”) issued Interpretation No. 48 (“FIN 48”), “Accounting for
Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109.”
FIN 48 clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized
in a
company’s financial statements and prescribes a recognition threshold and
measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement
of
a tax position taken or expected to be taken in an income tax return. FIN
48
also provides guidance in derecognition, classification, interest and penalties,
accounting in interim periods, disclosures and transition. FIN 48 is effective
for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2006. The adoption of FIN
48 did
not have an effect on the Company’s balance sheets, statements of operations or
cash flows.
–
6
–
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157 “Fair Value Measurements”
(“SFAS No. 157”). This Statement provides guidance for using
fair value to measure assets and liabilities. The standard also responds
to
investors’ requests for expanded information about the extent to which companies
measure assets and liabilities at fair value, the information used to measure
fair value, and the effect of fair value measurements on earnings. SFAS
No. 157 is effective for financial statements issued in fiscal years
beginning after November 15, 2007 and to interim periods within those fiscal
years. The Company does not believe the adoption of SFAS No. 157 will have
a material impact, if any, on its financial statements.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, “The Fair Value Option
for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“SFAS
No. 159”). SFAS No. 159 provides a “Fair Value Option”
under which a company may irrevocably elect fair value as the initial and
subsequent measurement attribute for certain financial assets and
liabilities. SFAS No. 159 will be available on a
contract-by-contract basis with changes in fair value recognized in earnings
as
those changes occur. SFAS No. 159 is effective for fiscal years
after November 15, 2007. SFAS No. 159 also allows early adoption
provided that the entity also adopts the requirements of SFAS
No. 157. The Company does not believe the adoption of SFAS
No. 159 will have a material impact, if any, on its financial
statements.
NOTE
3 — INCOME
TAXES
No
provision for state and local income taxes has been made since the Company
was
formed as a vehicle to effect a Business Combination and, as a result,
does not
conduct operations and is not engaged in a trade or business in any state.
The
Company records a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that
some
portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate
realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate
sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character in the future and
in the
appropriate taxing jurisdictions.
NOTE
4 — STOCKHOLDERS’
EQUITY
For
the
nine months ended September 30, 2007, Trust Fund interest income accretion
of
$159,451 was allocated to common stock, subject to possible conversion
to cash
on the accompanying condensed balance sheets and a corresponding debit
of
$159,451 was recorded to additional paid-in capital.
NOTE
5 — SUBSEQUENT
EVENTS
On
October 16, 2007, in return for their assistance in searching for a potential
target company and their advice to Millennium India during the negotiation
process of the SMC Group transactions, including the extension of the deadline
for the share purchase transactions to December 27, 2007, both Samta Jain
&
Associates and Step Two Advisors received an aggregate of 450,000 shares
of our
common stock as finders’ fees, of which Samta Jain received 250,000 and Step Two
Advisors received 200,000 shares.
The
finders have agreed to hold the shares subject to a lock-up and not to
sell them
within one year of the closing of the share purchase transactions. In
addition, each of Samta Jain & Associates and Step Two Advisors have (i)
agreed, in connection with the proposals contained in the Company’s Preliminary
Proxy Statement, filed with the SEC on August 17, 2007, and, as amended,
on
November 1, 2007, to vote its shares in accordance with the majority of
the
shares of
–
7
–
common
stock voted by the public stockholders who did not own shares immediately
prior
to the Company’s public
offering,
including purchases in its private placement; and (ii) waived its right
to
participate in the distribution of the trust proceeds upon liquidation
of the
Company.
Neither
Samta Jain & Associates nor Step Two Advisors have received any fees or
other consideration in excess of the 450,000 shares of common stock, except
for
the reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with their services
provided to the Company.
–
8
–
Item
2. Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations
Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This
quarterly report on Form 10-Q contains certain forward-looking statements
with
respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives,
future performance and business of our company, including, without limitation,
statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “may,” “will,”
“should,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “thinks,” “plans,”
“estimates” “seeks,” “predicts,” “potential,” or similar expressions. We believe
it is important to communicate management’s expectations to our investors.
However, there may be events in the future that we are not able to accurately
predict or over which we have no control. The risk factors listed in our
Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and in our Preliminary
Proxy Statement filed with the SEC on August 17, 2007, and as amended, on
November 1, 2007, as well as any other cautionary language in this quarterly
report, provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause
our
actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in
our
forward-looking statements. You should be aware that the occurrence of
the
events described in these risk factors and elsewhere in this quarterly
report
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations
and
financial condition. An example of these risks include general business
conditions, economic uncertainty or slowdown, and the effects of governmental
regulation that could adversely affect our future results of
operations.
Investors
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date of this quarterly report. All
forward-looking statements included herein attributable to us or any
person
acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the
cautionary
statements contained or referred to in this section. Except to the
extent required by applicable laws and regulations, we do not undertake
any
obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking
statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date that this
quarterly
report is filed with the SEC or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events, except as required by law.
The
following discussion should be read in conjunction with our condensed financial
statements and footnotes thereto contained in this report.
Overview
We
were
formed on March 15, 2006 to serve as a vehicle to effect a merger, capital
stock
exchange, asset acquisition or other similar business combination with
an
operating business or businesses operating primarily in India.
On
July
25, 2006, we completed our initial public offering of 7,250,000 units at
a price
of $8.00 per unit. We received proceeds of $52,855,000 from our initial
public
offering, which was net of $3,587,500 in underwriting fees and other expenses
paid in cash at the closing and deferred underwriting fees and the underwriters’
representative’s non-accountable expense allowance of $1,557,500. The deferred
portion of the underwriting fees and representative’s non-accountable expense
allowance will be included in additional paid-in capital and will only
be paid
upon our consummation of a business combination. Each unit consists of
one share
of our common stock and one warrant. Additionally, on June 30, 2006, we
sold
2,250,000 warrants, at a price of $1.00 per warrant, for an aggregate purchase
price of $2,250,000 to our officers, certain of our directors, other persons
who
owned shares of our common stock prior to such sale, and, in some instances,
to
their respective affiliates. The aggregate net proceeds of $56,662,500
from our
initial public offering and our private placement offering have been placed
in a
trust account.
–
9
–
For
additional information concerning the proceeds generated in our initial
public
offering and a discussion of the intended use of such proceeds, we refer
you to
Note 1 of the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form
10-K (File Number 001 -32931) for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed
with
the SEC on March 30, 2007 (our “2006 Annual Report”).
Upon
the
closing of our initial public offering, we sold and issued an option, for
$100,
to the representative of the underwriters, to purchase up to 500,000 units,
at
an exercise price of $10.80 per unit. For a description of the representative’s
purchase option, we refer you to note 7 of the financial statements included
in
our 2006 Annual Report.
We
believe that we have sufficient available funds to complete our efforts
to
effect a business combination with an operating business.
On
May
12, 2007, we entered into two substantially identical share subscription
agreements to acquire a 14.9% equity interest in each of SMC Global Securities
Limited (“SMC”) and SAM Global Securities Limited (“SAM”), that collectively
comprise the SMC Group of Companies (the “SMC Group” or the “Group”), for the
aggregate fixed sum of INR 1,638,996,077, or approximately $41.68 million
at an
exchange rate of $1.00 = INR 39.32 as of October 29, 2007 using the noon
buying
rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. On June 6, 2007, we
acquired options, exercisable within 30 days of the closing date of the
share
purchase transactions, to require the SMC Group to initiate regulatory
approval proceedings that would permit the SMC Group to issue Global
Depositary Receipts (GDRs), in which issuance we would have the right to
subscribe to such number of GDRs as would provide us, on conversion of
the GDRs
into equity shares, with up to an additional 6% equity interest in the
SMC
Group,
in
return for an aggregate payment of up to INR 659,998,420, or approximately
$16.79 million at the October 29, 2007 exchange rate. As we do
not currently intend to enter into any financing in connection with such
option
exercise, we would only subscribe to that number of GDRs that we would
be able
to purchase given our then-available capital. In this quarterly report,
we also
refer to the proposed 14.9% investment in the SMC Group as the “share purchase
transactions,” and the share purchase transactions together with the possible
acquisition of up to an additional 6% of the SMC Group as the “transactions.”
Trends
and Uncertainties
If
the
share purchase transactions with the SMC Group close, we will have a
minority interest in SMC Global Securities Limited and SAM Global Securities
Limited, two companies operating in the financial intermediaries
market. Accordingly, a sustained downturn in the Indian or global
economy could have a negative impact on our investment in the
SMC Group and therefore on our results of operations and financial
condition. It is possible that investors serviced by the
SMC Group would move their investments out of the financial markets because
of uncertainty. In that case, financial intermediaries, like the
SMC Group, could see a significant decline in their business and the stock
of
financial intermediaries would become less attractive to
investors. While these consequences of a sustained downturn in the
Indian or global economy are possible, we believe that the economic size
and
market share held by SMC would enable to endure the downturn,
enabling us to retain the value of our investment in the SMC
Group.
Specific
macroeconomic and industry factors relevant to us in light of our minority
investment in the SMC Group include the following:
·
|
With
a 2006 GDP of $887 billion, India is the world’s 12th largest
economy in dollar terms. Based on real GDP growth, it is
currently the second-fastest growing economy in the
world. Large inflows of foreign investment in recent months and
years, however, have put, and continue to put, upward pressure
on the
value of the rupee relative to other currencies, including the
U.S.
dollar. A strengthened rupee
may
|
–
10
–
|
negatively
impact the volume of Indian exports, which may slow the rate
of growth of
the Indian economy.
|
·
|
According
to the India Ministry of Finance, the gross domestic savings
rate was at
32.4% of GDP in 2006. Existing low domestic investment
penetration levels (with less than five percent of the financial
savings
of Indian households invested in equity), increasing affordability
of
credit, a young population and rising income levels have led
to a growing
demand for retail financial
products.
|
·
|
The
introduction of new financial instruments and products and relaxation
of
investment limits for foreign direct investment (“FDI”)
and
foreign institutional investment (“FII”)
has
helped broaden the financial services industry over the past
15
years. According to the Reserve Bank of India, foreign
portfolio and direct investment inflows have risen significantly
since
economic liberalization reforms began in the early 1990s and
have
contributed to foreign currency reserves of $165 billion as of
December
2006. FDI inflow in the twelve months ended March 31, 2007
amounted to $15 billion and is expected to reach $25 billion
in the twelve
months ending March 31, 2008.
|
·
|
Trading
volumes on Indian capital markets have grown from $544.1 billion
in
2000-01 to $1.677 trillion in 2005-06. The Wall Street Journal
(April 2007) expects stock trading volumes in India to increase
about 50%
a year for the next two to three years. Commodity trading
volumes have risen at a compound annual growth rate of over 200%
between
2002-03 and 2005-06. However, recent increases in foreign
investment in Indian equities have caused a rapid appreciation
of Indian
stock market indices and increased the risk of a “market bubble,” i.e., an
overvaluation of stock. If stocks are overvalued, or if
investors generally perceive them to be overvalued, stock prices
could
decline, leading investors to move their capital out of the equities
markets. This would have a detrimental effect on stock brokers
and other intermediaries, such as the SMC
Group.
|
·
|
Indian
mutual fund assets under management have grown from INR 1.53
trillion in
September 2004 to INR 2.32 trillion in March 2006. Most of the
funds that dominate the sector are open-ended funds. The
government of India has stated its intention to invest a part
of the
pension funds of government employees in the capital markets
by means of
mutual funds.
|
·
|
As
fewer than 20% of India’s insurable population is currently insured, the
market’s potential has been estimated to have a premium income of $80
billion, covering over 300 million
insured.
|
–
11
–
Results
of Operations
Net
income for the three months ended September 30, 2007 of $42,910 consisted
of
interest income on the Trust Fund investment of $502,068 and interest on
cash
and cash equivalents of $13,488, offset by general and administrative expenses
of $444,626, which includes professional fees of $225,783, travel and
entertainment expenses of $99,680, rent and office expenses of $52,463,
Delaware
franchise tax of $19,160, and $47,540 related to other operating
expenses.
Net
income for the three months ended September 30, 2006 of $90,800 consisted
of
interest income on the Trust Fund investment of $491,650 and interest on
cash
and cash equivalents of $8,082, offset by general and administrative expenses
of
$374,932, which includes professional fees of $74,694, travel and entertainment
expenses of $105,582, relocation expenses of $97,478, rent and office
expenses of $43,150, Delaware franchise tax of $34,540, and $19,488 related
to
other operating expenses.
Net
income for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 of $319,675 consisted
of
interest income on the Trust Fund investment of $2,000,332 and interest
on cash
and cash equivalents of $30,607, offset by general and administrative expenses
of $1,538,154, which includes professional fees of $889,402, travel and
entertainment expenses of $373,054, rent and office expenses of $123,874,
Delaware franchise tax of $55,160, insurance expense of $37,457 and $59,207
related to other operating expenses.
Net
loss
for the period from inception (March 15, 2006) to September 30, 2006 was
$2,647,462, which consisted of interest income on the Trust Fund investment
of
$491,650 and interest on cash and cash equivalents of $8,082, offset by
a charge
related to the sale of common stock of $2,700,549, general and administrative
expenses of $412,645, which includes travel and entertainment expenses
of
$105,800, professional fees of $107,694, relocation expenses of $97,478,
rent
and offices expenses of $43,150, Delaware franchise tax of $38,904 and
$19,619
related to other operating expenses.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Of
the
$58 million of gross proceeds from our initial public offering (i) we deposited
approximately $56,662,500 into a trust account at the closing, which amount
included $2,250,000 that we received from the sale of warrants to our initial
stockholders and other investors in a private placement on June 30, 2006;
(ii)
the underwriters received $2,792,500 as an underwriting discount and non
accountable expense allowance; (iii) we retained $50,000 that was not held
in
the trust account; and (iv) we used $795,000 for offering expenses.
We
are
permitted to utilize up to $2,025,000 of cash for working capital, which
includes the $50,000 transferred to us at closing of our initial public
offering
on July 25, 2006 and $1,975,000 of the interest earned on trust investments.
The
cash held outside of the trust has been and will continue to be used to
provide
for business, legal and accounting due diligence and structuring on prospective
transactions and continuing general and administrative expenses. As of
September
30, 2007, we have used $1,360,000 for such working capital
expenditures.
–
12
–
As
of
September 30, 2007, our accounts payable and accrued expenses were $3,280,357
(including $1,557,500 of deferred underwriting fees and expenses, $165,993
payable for federal income taxes and approximately $88,000 still payable
to our
auditors). Underwriting fees and income tax obligations are payable
from the trust fund.
Our
cash
available outside of the trust was $637,358 as of September 30,
2007. Since the amount of our obligations to vendors and creditors as
of September 30, 2007 exceeds this amount, we have no funds remaining outside
of
the trust that could be used to search for a new business combination
target.
If
we
close the share purchase transactions, the difference between the outstanding
obligations to vendors and creditors and the cash available outside of
the trust
will be covered by the proceeds released from the trust at closing. Although
we
do not currently have plans for additional financing, in the event that
we do
not close the share purchase transactions, we will be forced to obtain
additional financing, either from our initial stockholders or from third
parties, if we want to pursue a new business combination transaction. We
may not
be able to obtain additional financing, and our initial stockholders are
not
obligated to provide any additional financing to us. If we are unable to
obtain
additional financing, we will be forced to liquidate. In the event of a
liquidation, the actual per-share liquidation price could be less than
$7.92 per
share, the redemption value at September 30, 2007 (including interest earned
on
the trust account through that date). Our chief executive officer and chief
financial officer have personally agreed, pursuant to letter agreement
with us
and the representative in our initial public offering, that if we liquidate
prior to the consummation of a business combination, they will be personally
liable to pay debts and obligations to target businesses or vendors or
other
entities that are owed money by us for services rendered or contracted
for or
products sold to us in excess of the net proceeds from the trust account.
We
cannot assure you, however, that our chief executive officer and chief
financial
officer will be able to satisfy those obligations.
Item
3. Quantitative
and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market
risk is a broad term for the risk of economic loss due to adverse changes
in the
fair value of a financial instrument. These changes may be the result of
various
factors, including interest rates, foreign exchange rates, commodity prices
and/or equity prices. Our exposure to market risk is limited to interest
income
sensitivity with respect to the funds placed in the trust account. However,
the
funds held in our trust account have been invested only in U.S. “government
securities,” defined as any Treasury Bill issued by the United States having a
maturity of one hundred and eighty days or less or in money market funds
meeting
certain conditions under Rule 2a -7 under the Investment Company Act of
1940, so we believe that we are not currently deemed to be an investment
company
under the Investment Company Act.
The
share
purchase agreements with the SMC Group require us to pay a fixed amount in
Indian rupees for the 14.90% ownership interest we seek to acquire in SMC
and
SAM. Between October 1, 2006 and October 26, 2007, the noon buying rate
of the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York has fluctuated from a high of 45.97 rupees
per
dollar on October 2, 2006 to a low of 38.48 rupees per dollar on October
9,
2007. Should the Indian rupee gain further in value against the U.S. dollar
between now and the closing of the transactions, our purchase of the ownership
interest would become more expensive for us than we might have anticipated
when
entering into the agreement, which could adversely affect our financial
position.
–
13
–
Thus,
we
are subject to market risk primarily through the effect of changes in interest
rates on government securities and any fluctuation in the foreign exchange
rates
that would increase the cost of the share purchase transactions.
Item
4. Controls
and Procedures
Our
Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer evaluated the effectiveness
of our
disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a -15(e) under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered
by this
report. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures
were effective as of September 30, 2007.
There
has
not been any change in our internal control over financial reporting (as
defined
in Rule 13a -15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the quarter ended
September 30, 2007 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to
materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
–
14
–
PART
II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item
1. Legal
Proceedings
We
are
not a party to any pending legal proceedings.
Item
1A. Risk Factors
An
investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You
should carefully consider all of the material risks described below,
together
with the other information contained in this document and our annual
report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, including our financial
statements and related notes. If any of the following risks
materialize, our business, results of operations and financial
condition could materially suffer, the trading price of our securities
could
decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks
related to the proposed purchase of a minority interest in the SMC
Group
As
an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we will not be
able to
continue our business as currently contemplated because we will be subject
to
restrictions on our capital structure and our ability to engage in future
transactions such as mergers or buyouts.In addition, if we do not obtain
exemptive relief from the SEC from Section 12(d)(3) of the Act, we
will not be able to consummate the proposed transactions and we will
need to
find and enter into an agreement with another target company by January
2008 or
face dissolution.
Upon
registration as an investment
company, we will be subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the
1940 Act)
and the related rules, which contain detailed requirements for the organization
and operation of investment companies.Among other things, the 1940 Act
and the
rules thereunder impose restrictions on the nature of our investments,
limit or
prohibit transactions with affiliates, impose limitations on the issuance
of
debt and equity securities, generally prohibit the issuance of options,
impose
governance requirements, limit permissible borrowings and impose other
restrictions on capital structure, require assets to be placed with an
approved
custodian, and place limitations on our ability to engage in future transactions
such as mergers or buyouts, and to compensate key employees. We will
be required
to have a board of directors comprised of at least 40% disinterested
directors,
that among other responsibilities will hire officers, review and approve
various
policies, transactions and agreements, and hire auditors. In addition,
we will
provide shareholder reports on a semi-annual basis pursuant to the 1940
Act and
will no longer file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, as we currently
do. We intend, however, to file or furnish unaudited financial
statements of SMC and SAM on a quarterly basis.
Furthermore,
we have submitted an application requesting an exemption from the provisions
of
Section 12(d)(3) of the 1940 Act from the SEC. Section 12(d)(3)
prohibits an investment company from investing in issuers that engage
in
securities-related activities, which include activities as a broker,
a dealer or
an underwriter. An exemption from the general prohibition permits an
investment company to acquire any security of an issuer that derives
more than
15 percent of its gross revenues from securities-related activities,
if
immediately after the acquisition, the investment company has not invested
more
than 5 percent of the value of its total assets in securities of that
issuer and
does not own more than 5 percent of the outstanding securities of that
class of
the issuer’s equity securities. The SMC Group’s activities include
securities brokerage, commodities brokerage, mutual fund distribution
and
insurance brokerage, among others, and the SMC Group derives more than
15
percent of its gross revenues from related securities
activities. Because of the foregoing and the fact that we intend to
invest all or substantially all of our assets in the SMC Group, we will
not be
able to consummate the proposed transactions unless the SEC permits us
to do so
pursuant to an exemptive order, for which we have applied but which has
not yet
been approved. There can be no assurance that the SEC will grant the
requested relief. If the SEC does not grant the requested relief, we
will have to enter into an agreement, agreement in principle or letter
of intent
with another target company by January 20, 2008, or face
dissolution.
In
addition, as a closed-end investment company, the market price of our
common
stock may be below the net asset value of our common stock. Net asset
value per
share is the value of all our assets, minus any liabilities, divided
by the
number of outstanding shares of common stock. After completion of the
proposed transactions, all or substantially all of our assets will be
comprised
of our investments in the equity shares of SMC and SAM, which are listed
on the
New Delhi stock exchange and Gauhati stock exchange, respectively, but
are not
traded. Therefore, we will not be able to use market quotations to
determine the value of such equity shares, which may make selling those
shares
at an appropriate price more difficult.
If
one or more of our stockholders initiates a lawsuit against us alleging
that the
transactions are inconsistent with the disclosure in the prospectus relating
to
our initial public offering, we may be obligated to repurchase shares
sold in
our IPO or to pay damages.
In
the prospectus included in the
registration statement we filed in connection with our initial public
offering
(File No. 333-133189), we stated that Millennium was formed for the purpose
of
effecting “a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition or other similar
transaction with one or more businesses that have operations in
India.” The prospectus also referred to the potential business
combination transaction as an “acquisition “ of an “operating business with
primary operating activities in India.” While our prospectus
contemplated a variety of methodologies for consummating the business
combination and did not exclude the possibility of acquiring an ownership
interest of less than 50.1% in a target business, an investor may understand
the
term “acquisition” to mean the acquisition of a controlling interest in a target
business. If the share purchase transactions are consummated, we will
be acquiring only a 14.9% interest in SMC and SAM. In addition, our
prospectus stated that our board would not propose or seek stockholder
approval
of amendments to certain core provisions of our certificate of incorporation
relating to the business combination. Our board is seeking to amend
the definition of the term “acquisition” to clarify that the term also includes
the purchase of a minority interest in an operating business.
If
one or more of our stockholders
claim that our registration statement included an untrue statement of
a material
fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and decide to
initiate
a lawsuit against us on those grounds, we intend to defend ourselves
vigorously. If the stockholders are victorious in this litigation, we
may be required to pay damages to them or to repurchase the shares we
sold in
our IPO at the original sale price, plus statutory interest from the
date of
sale. Furthermore, irrespective of the outcome of such litigation, we
may incur
significant legal expenses in defending the lawsuit and our management’s
attention may be diverted as a result of the suit.
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15
–
Our
current executive officers and directors own shares of common stock and
warrants
that will be worthless if the share purchase transactions are not
consummated--interests that may have influenced their decision to recommend
to
the shareholders approval of the share purchase
proposals.
When
our investors consider our board
of directors’ recommendation to approve the share purchase
transactions, they should keep in mind that Millennium’s executive
officers, directors and affiliates have interests in the transactions
that are
different from, or in addition to, your interests as a
stockholder. These interests may have influenced our directors’
motivation in recommending that Millennium shareholders approve the
transactions. In particular, if the proposals are rejected and
Millennium is unable to enter into a Letter of Intent or an agreement
in
principle with another target business by January 20, 2008, Millennium
will be
required to liquidate. In that event, the shares of our common stock
held by Millennium’s officers and directors and their affiliates immediately
prior to our IPO will expire worthless because holders of those shares
are not
entitled to receive any liquidation proceeds with respect to such shares.In
addition to the shares they purchased prior to the IPO, Millennium’s officers
and directors and their affiliates purchased warrants, which differ from
publicly-held warrants in several respects, including in the respect
that
holders of non-publicly-held warrants are not entitled to receive liquidation
proceeds with respect to the shares of common stock underlying those
warrants.
Our
stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us
to the
extent of distributions received by them.
If
we are
unable to obtain SEC exemptive relief and shareholder approval of the
share
purchase transactions by January 20, 2008 and have not entered into an
agreement, agreement in principle or letter of intent with another target
business by that date, our board of directors will, prior to such date,
convene,
adopt and recommend to our stockholders a plan of dissolution and distribution
and on such date file a proxy statement with the SEC seeking stockholder
approval for such plan. Upon dissolution, we will distribute to all
of our public stockholders, in proportion to their respective equity
interests,
an aggregate sum equal to the amount in the trust account, net of taxes
payable. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, stockholders may
be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the
extent
of distributions received by them in a dissolution. If the corporation
complies
with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision
for all
claims against it, any liability of stockholders with respect to a
liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata
share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and
any
liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary
of the
dissolution. Because we will not be complying with Section 280, we would
seek
stockholder approval to comply with Section 281(b) of the Delaware General
Corporation Law, requiring us to adopt a plan that will provide for our
payment,
based on facts known to us at such time, of (i) all existing claims,
(ii) all
pending claims and (iii) all claims that may be potentially brought against
us
within the subsequent 10 years. Accordingly, we would be required to
provide for
any creditors known to us at that time or claims that we believe could
be
potentially brought against us within the subsequent 10 years prior to
distributing the funds held in the trust to stockholders.We cannot assure
you
that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought
against
us. As such, our stockholders could be liable for any claims to the
extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution (but no more)
and any
liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary
of
such dissolution.
Additionally,
if we are forced to file a bankruptcy case or an involuntary bankruptcy
case is
filed against us which is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust
account
could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in
our
bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority
over
the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete
the
trust account or to the extent the proceeds deposited in the trust account
become subject to the claims of other creditors that have higher priority
than
the claims of our public stockholders, we cannot assure you we will be
able to
return to our public stockholders at least $7.88 per share, the redemption
value
at June 30, 2007 (including interest earned on the trust account through
that
date).
We
may not have sufficient capital to permit us to exercise the options
with
respect to the issuance of SMC and SAM Global Depositary Receipts in
full or in
part.
Taking
into account our proposed purchase of the 14.90% equity interest in SMC
and SAM
and the estimated fees and expenses in connection therewith, our expected
post-transaction capital levels may be insufficient to permit us to exercise
the
options with respect to the issuance of SMC and SAM Global Depositary
Receipts
(GDRs) in full or in part (depending on the number of shares converted
and the
value of the Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar). As we do not
currently intend to enter into any financing in connection with such
option
exercise, we would only subscribe to that number of GDRs we would be
able to
purchase given our then-available capital.
There
can be no assurances that SMC, SAM and we will obtain the necessary regulatory
approvals to permit us to exercise our options with respect to the issuance
of
SMC and SAM Global Depositary Receipts or to obtain ownership of the
Global
Depositary Receipts. If we do not obtain these approvals, we will be
unable to
obtain the additional interest in SMC and SAM through purchase of
GDRs.
The
option agreements with SMC and SAM and their respective promoters grant
us
options to require SMC or SAM, as the case may be, to initiate regulatory
approval proceedings that would permit it to issue Global Depositary
Receipts
(GDRs). In that issuance, we are entitled to subscribe to that number
of GDRs, as would provide us, on conversion of the GDRs into equity shares,
with
up to an additional 6% of the equity share capital of SMC or SAM, as
the case
may be. There can be no assurances that the relevant regulatory
authorities in India or elsewhere will approve SMC’s or SAM’s issuance of GDRs
or our investment in the GDRs. If we do not obtain these approvals,
we will be unable to obtain an additional interest in SMC and
SAM through purchase of GDRs.
The
SMC Group’s promoters will possess significant influence over virtually all
matters requiring the approval of SMC Group shareholders, which will
make it
difficult for Millennium to have any meaningful say in the outcome of
shareholder votes.
Mr.
S.C.
Aggarwal and Mr. M.C. Gupta are the promoters of SMC and currently own
an
aggregate of 26.11% of SMC’s shares. Mr. Ajay Garg, SMC,
and SMC Share Brokers Ltd. are the promoters of SAM and currently own
an
aggregate of 20.9% of SAM’s shares.
–
16
–
Upon
the
expiration of those provisions of the shareholders agreement (to be executed
in
conjunction with the share purchase transactions) that will afford our
designee upon the SMC Group’s Board of Directors the ability to effectively veto
most transactions out of its ordinary course of business, SMC’s promoter group
will hold 45% of SMC’s shares and SAM’s promoter group will hold 60% of SAM’s
shares (applying the relative ownership percentages expected to be in
place
immediately following the share purchase transactions). As a result
of this high ownership percentage, the promoter group will possess significant
influence over virtually all matters requiring the approval of a shareholder
vote, which will make it difficult for Millennium to have any
meaningful say in the outcome of shareholder votes.
We
are required by Indian law to hold our equity interest in the SMC Group
for a
period of one year and may sell our shares only after first offering
them to the
SMC Group’s principals, which means that we may be forced to retain our shares
in situations where we would otherwise have opted for disposing of
them.
Indian
law requires us to hold our interest in the SMC Group for a period of
one year
and the shareholders agreement we expect to enter into will require us
to offer
the shares first to the principals of the SMC Group, who will have a
thirty day
right of first refusal to acquire such shares at our proposed sale
price. Both of those requirements limit and delay our ability to sell
any of the SMC Group’s shares, which could cause us to miss an opportunity to
sell them at a price favorable to us. It should be noted that the
principals’ right of first refusal will not be exercisable without our obtaining
exemptive relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
At
closing, we are required to deliver the purchase price for our interest
in SMC
and SAM in Indian rupees, which means that we face the risk of adverse
foreign
exchange movements of the rupee against the U.S. dollar in the
meantime.
The
share
purchase agreements require us to pay a fixed amount in Indian rupees
for the
14.90% ownership interest we seek to acquire in SMC and SAM. Between
October 1, 2006 and October 26, 2007, the noon buying rate of the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York has fluctuated from a high of 45.97 rupees per
dollar
on October 2, 2006 to a low of 38.48 rupees per dollar on October 9,
2007.Should
the Indian rupee gain further in value against the U.S. dollar between
now and
the closing of the transactions, our purchase of the ownership interest
would
become more expensive for us than we might have anticipated when entering
into
the agreement, which could adversely affect our financial position.
Risks
related to the SMC Group’s industry
Market
downturns or disruptions resulting in reduced trading activity may harm
the SMC
Group’s results of operations and reduce its
profitability.
The
SMC
Group’s results of operations will be affected by national and global economic
and political conditions, broad trends in business and finance, fluctuations
in
the prices of equities, commodities and derivatives and other factors
that
affect the trading volumes in these financial instruments in India and
the level
of interest in Indian business development. Low levels of trading
volume, particularly in equities, will harm the SMC Group’s profitability
because of its high level of fixed costs. Highly volatile markets
furthermore increase the risk of bad debts. Recent increases in
foreign investment in Indian equities have caused a rapid appreciation
of Indian
stock market indices and increased the risk of a “market bubble,” i.e., the
overvaluation of stock. If stocks are overvalued, or if investors
generally perceive them to be overvalued, stock prices could decline,
leading
investors to move their capital out of the equities markets. This
would have a detrimental effect on stock brokers and other intermediaries,
such
as the SMC Group. Revenues derived from equity transactions during
the years ended March 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 accounted for approximately
57%,
58% and 54% of total revenues for the SMC Group. A substantial
portion of the balance of the revenues were derived from commodities
and
derivatives transactions. Since a material portion of SMC Group’s revenues are
derived from equity, commodities and derivatives transactions, any change
in
either the existing commission rates relating to these transactions or
the
volume of trading in equity, commodities or derivatives could have a
material
impact on the profitability of the SMC Group.
The
SMC Group operates in a highly-regulated industry. New rules or
changes in the rules promulgated by the regulatory authorities supervising
the
SMC Group’s activities and changes in the interpretation or enforcement of
existing laws and rules may adversely impact the SMC Group’s business, financial
condition and results of operations.
The
SMC
Group operates in a highly-regulated industry. Its operations are
regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the exchanges
of
which it is a member, the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI),
the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) and the Forward
Market
Commission (FMC).
The
SMC
Group’s ability to comply with applicable laws and rules is largely dependent
on
its internal compliance procedures, as well as on its ability to attract
and
retain qualified compliance personnel. Noncompliance may subject SMC
to penalties, fines and the risk of civil litigation, which could have
a
material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of
operations.
The
SMC
Group’s activities and profitability may also be affected by changes in its
regulatory environment when the legislature or regulatory authorities
pass new
laws or rules or the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and
rules
changes. Any of these actions can raise the group’s compliance burden
by requiring it to spend resources to adapt to the new
environment. This can have a material adverse effect on the SMC
Group’s financial condition and results of operations.
–
17
–
Indian
financial services providers are dependent on regulatory approvals and
licenses
in conducting their business and the SMC Group may lose or be unable
to renew
valuable licenses.
The
SMC
Group’s securities brokerage, commodities brokerage, mutual fund distribution,
and insurance brokerage activities are licensed by numerous agencies,
including
the SEBI, the AMFI and the IRDA. If any one or more of its licenses
is revoked for breach or violation of any condition on which the license
depended or the SMC Group is unable for any reason to renew a license,
it may be
forced to cease operating in the affected business line until its licensed
status is reinstituted. As a result, the SMC Group’s revenues are
likely to fall. The SMC Group is currently awaiting a license from
SEBI to allow it to provide portfolio management services. If it is
unable to obtain this license, it will not be able to provide these services,
which will mean that a significant component of its business plan will
not be
implemented.
India’s
financial services industry is highly competitive.
The
SMC
Group faces significant competition from companies seeking to attract
clients’
financial assets, including traditional and online brokerage firms, mutual
fund
companies and institutional players, some of which have a broader distribution
network, are better capitalized and have a stronger brand name than the
SMC
Group. As the group enters new markets, such as the market for
portfolio management services, margin funding and expanding its on-line
trading
activities, it will have to face competition from established
companies. The current trend towards consolidation in the financial
services industry in India could further increase competition in all
areas of
the SMC Group’s business. Inability to compete effectively in light
of these increasing pressures may cause the SMC Group’s revenues to
decline.
Political,
economic, social and other factors in India and its neighbor, Pakistan,
may
adversely affect the SMC Group’s operations and our ability to achieve our
business objective.
Since
mid-1991, the Indian government has been implementing an economic structural
reform program with the objective of liberalizing India’s exchange and trade
policies, reducing the fiscal deficit, controlling inflation, promoting
a sound
monetary policy, reforming the financial sector, and placing greater
reliance on
market mechanisms to direct economic activity. A significant
component of the program is the promotion of foreign investment in key
areas of
the economy and the further development of, and the relaxation of restrictions
in, the private sector. These policies have been coupled with the
express intention to redirect the government’s central planning function away
from the allocation of resources and toward the issuance of specific
guidelines. While the government’s policies have resulted in improved
economic performance, there can be no assurance that the economic recovery
will
be sustained. Moreover, there can be no assurance that these economic
reforms will persist, and that any newly elected government will continue
the
program of economic liberalization of previous governments. Any
change in government may adversely affect Indian laws and policies with
respect
to foreign investment and currency exchange. Furthermore, laws and
policies affecting financial services companies, technology companies
and other
matters affecting investment in securities could also change. Such
changes in laws and economic policies could negatively affect the general
business and economic conditions in India, which could in turn materially
and
adversely affect the SMC Group’s operations.
India
has
experienced terrorist attacks in the recent past and religious and border
disputes persist in India and remain pressing problems. For example,
India has from time to time experienced civil unrest and hostilities
with
neighboring countries such as Pakistan. The longstanding dispute with
Pakistan over the border Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, a majority
of whose
population is Muslim, remains unresolved. If the Indian government is
unable to control the violence and disruption associated with these tensions,
especially at a time when political conditions in Pakistan are uncertain,
as
they currently are, the results could destabilize the economy and, consequently,
materially and adversely affect the SMC Group’s operations.
Since
early 2003, there have also been military hostilities and civil unrest
in
Afghanistan, Iraq and other Asian countries. These events could
adversely influence the Indian economy and, as a result, materially and
adversely affect the SMC Group’s operations and our ability to achieve our
business objective.
The
Indian financial services sector is subject to extensive government regulations,
including those that limit foreign ownership, which may adversely affect
the
Group’s operations and/or our ability to complete the share purchase or remain
invested in the SMC Group.
The
Indian government regulates foreign investments in the financial services
sector
by periodically reviewing and adjusting the permissible amount of foreign
ownership. There can be no guarantee that our management will be
correct in its assessment of political and policy risk associated with
investments in general and in particular in the financial services
sector. Any changes in policy could have an adverse impact on our
ability to complete the share purchase and remain invested in the SMC
Group.
Foreign
investment in Indian securities is regulated by the Foreign Exchange
Management
Act, 1999, as amended (FEMA), and the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer
or
Issue of Security by a Person Resident Outside India) Regulations, 2000,
pursuant to which the residents of India cannot undertake any transaction
with
persons outside India, sell, buy, lend or borrow foreign currency, issue
or
transfer securities to non-residents or acquire or dispose of any foreign
security without the permission (general or special) of the RBI.In addition,
foreign direct investments/investments by non-resident Indians in activities
of
non-bank financial companies (NBFCs) must comply with minimum capitalization
requirements.
In
addition to these regulations governing foreign investment in India,
the SMC
Group is subject to a variety of other laws and regulations, particularly
the
Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (SEBI Act) and rules,
regulations and notifications framed thereunder, providing for
the the registration and regulation of various market intermediaries,
including stock brokers, merchant bankers, portfolio managers and
underwriters. The relevant rules and regulations formulated by SEBI
as well as other legislation governing the businesses of SMC Group are
as
follows:
–
18
–
·
|
Stock
brokerage activities are regulated by the SEBI (Stock-Brokers
and
Sub-Brokers) Regulations, 1992 (Stock Broking Regulations),
the Securities
Contract (Regulation) Act, 1956 (SCRA), the Securities Contracts
(Regulations) Rules, 1957 (SCRR) and the bye-laws of the stock
exchanges
of which the SMC Group is a member
(Bye-laws).
|
|
-
|
The
Stock Broking Regulations govern the registration and functioning of
stock brokers, sub-brokers and the trading members of the stock
exchanges,
prescribing the criteria, standards and procedure for the registration
of
stock brokers, sub-brokers and persons seeking to be trading
members of
stock exchanges. They also prescribe penalties for the failure
to comply with the regulations laid down by
SEBI.
|
|
-
|
SCRA:
The SCRA empowers the Government of India and SEBI to make
and amend
rules, such as the SCRR. The SCRA also empowers stock exchanges
recognized by SEBI to frame bye-laws to regulate the conduct
of their
members.
|
|
-
|
SCRR:
The SCRR, among other things, regulates the conditions of eligibility
for
a stock broker to be admitted to membership of a stock
exchange.
|
|
-
|
Bye-laws:
The stock brokerage business of the SMC Group is also regulated
by the
rules, regulations and bye-laws of the stock exchanges where
it is
registered as a trading member, i.e., the National Stock Exchange
of India
and the Bombay Stock Exchange. The regulations of the NSE and
BSE contain requirements concerning the ownership of promoters,
settlement
processes, net worth and reporting.
|
·
|
Depositary
participant activities are governed by the Securities and Exchange
Board
of India (Depositories and Participant) Regulations, 1996 (DP
Regulations), which provide for the registration of depository
participants, minimum net worth requirement, rights and obligations
of
depository participants, systems and procedures, connectivity
with the
depository, maintenance of records and the appointment of compliance
officers. Contravention of DP Regulations will be penalized in
accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(Procedure for
Holding Enquiry by Enquiry Officer and Imposing Penalty) Regulations,
2002.
|
·
|
Merchant
banking activities are governed by the Securities and Exchange
Board of
India (Merchant Bankers) Regulations, 1992 (Merchant Bankers
Regulations),
which include procedures for the registration of merchant bankers,
capital
adequacy requirements, code of conduct, maintenance of books
of accounts
and records, reporting requirement, responsibilities of lead
managers,
underwriting obligations, appointment of compliance officer
and liability
for action in case of default.
|
·
|
Commodities
brokerage activities are governed by the Forward Contracts
(Regulation)
Act, 1952 (FCRA). The FCRA provides for the regulation of matters
relating
to forward contracts, the prohibition of options in goods and
for matters
connected therewith.The Forward Markets Commission is the regulatory
body
for the commodity market in India. It is the equivalent of
the SEBI, which
protects the interests of investors in securities. Commodity
derivatives are traded on the National Commodity and Derivative
Exchange
(“NCDEX”) and the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX). Membership of NCDEX
and
MCX is governed by their respective rules, regulations and
bye-laws which
broadly provide for eligibility criteria, net worth requirements,
conduct
of business by trading members, trading system, procedure and
manner of
clearing and settlement and reporting
requirements.
|
If
the
relevant Indian authorities find us or the SMC Group to be in violation
of any
existing or future Indian laws or regulations, they would have broad
discretion
in dealing with such a violation, including, without limitation:
·
|
levying
fines
|
·
|
revoking
our business and other licenses;
and
|
·
|
requiring
that we restructure our ownership or
operations.
|
Any
of
these actions could lead the SMC Group or us to incur significant expenses
in
connection with complying with the authorities’ requests, which may materially
and adversely affect our financial condition and results of
operations.
–
19
–
Foreign
currency fluctuations could adversely affect our ability to achieve our
business
objective.
The
exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the U.S. dollar has changed
substantially in the last two decades and may fluctuate substantially
in the
future. Between October 1, 2006 and October 26, 2007, the noon buying
rate of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has fluctuated from a high
of 45.97
rupees per dollar on October 2, 2006 to a low of 38.48 rupees per dollar
on
October 9, 2007. As the U.S. dollar declines in value against the
Indian rupee, our purchase of the equity interest in the SMC Group will
become
more expensive in U.S. dollar terms and therefore more difficult to
complete. Furthermore, we may incur costs in connection with
conversions between U.S. dollars and Indian rupees, which may make it
more
difficult to consummate the transaction.
Returns
on investment in Indian companies may be decreased by withholding and
other
taxes.
Our
investments in India will incur tax risk unique to investment in India
and in
developing economies in general. Income that might otherwise not be
subject to withholding of local income tax under normal international
conventions may be subject to withholding of Indian income tax. Under
treaties with India and under local Indian income tax law, income is
generally
sourced in India and subject to Indian tax if paid from India. This
is true whether or not the services or the earning of the income would
normally
be considered as from sources outside India in other
contexts. Additionally, proof of payment of withholding taxes may be
required as part of the remittance procedure. Any withholding taxes
paid by us on income from our investments in India may or may not be
creditable
on our income tax returns.
We
intend
to avail ourselves of income tax treaties with India to seek to minimize
any
Indian withholding tax or local tax otherwise imposed. However, there
is no assurance that the Indian tax authorities will recognize application
of
such treaties to achieve a minimization of Indian tax.
If
political relations between the U.S. and India weaken, it could make
the SMC
Group’s operations less attractive.
The
relationship between the United States and India may deteriorate over
time. Changes in political conditions in India and changes in the
state of Indian—U.S. relations are difficult to predict and could adversely
affect our future operations or cause our investment in the SMC Group
to become
less attractive. This could lead to a decline in our
profitability. Any weakening of relations with India could have a
material adverse effect on our operations after the share purchase transactions
have been completed.
Risks
related to the SMC Group’s operations
The
SMC Group is highly dependent on its promoters for financing and management
support. Their withdrawal of support could materially reduce the SMC
Group’s
revenues and profits and could have a material adverse effect on the
Group’s
financial condition.
The
promoters of SMC are Mr. Subhash Chand Aggarwal and Mr. Mahesh Chand
Gupta. The promoters of SAM are SMC, SMC Share Brokers Limited and
Mr. Ajay Garg. Historically, the SMC Group has been highly dependent
on its promoters for its capital requirements and management. As a
result of the financial resources of the promoter group, the SMC Group
does not
carry any long-term debt on its balance sheet. Furthermore, most of
the promoters are actively engaged in the management of the SMC Group
entities. While we believe that none of the promoters have business
interests that are different from those of the SMC Group and none of
them are
known to be withdrawing their support from the Group, none of the promoters
are
under any obligation to continue to support the SMC Group. Their
withdrawal of support, either in terms of resources or management or
both, could
materially reduce the SMC Group’s revenues and profits and could have a material
adverse effect on its financial condition.
The
SMC Group is dependent on systems and operational availability and faces
a risk
of system failure that may result in reduced traffic, reduced revenues
and
profits and harm to its reputation.
The
SMC
Group is dependent on its technology systems to perform the critical
function of
gathering, processing and communicating information efficiently, securely
and
without interruptions. It could face business risk due to failures in
the control processes or technology systems that could constrain its
ability to
manage its business. Its success depends, in part, on its ability to
make timely enhancements and additions to its technology in anticipation
of
client demands. Rapid increases in client demand may strain the SMC
Group’s ability to enhance its technology and expand its operating
capacity. To the extent the SMC Group experiences system
interruptions, errors or downtime (which could be caused by a variety
of
factors, including changes in client use patterns, technological failure,
changes to systems, linkages with third-party systems, and power failures),
its
business and operations could be materially and adversely impacted.
Security
breaches could damage the SMC Group’s reputation and expose it to
liability.
Since
the
SMC Group retains confidential client information in its database, its
facilities and infrastructure must remain secure. Despite the
implementation of security measures, the SMC Group’s infrastructure may be
vulnerable to physical break-ins, computer viruses, programming errors
or
similar disruptions. If the SMC Group’s security measures are
circumvented, the security of confidential and propriety information
stored on
its systems could be jeopardized and its operations could be
interrupted. A material security breach could damage the SMC Group’s
reputation and expose it to liability. Since the SMC Group does not
carry insurance that protects it from this type of loss, its business,
revenues
and profits may be materially and adversely affected by a material security
breach.
–
20
–
If
the SMC Group is unable to manage the rapid growth required by its business
strategy, its revenues and profits may be lower than
expected.
The
SMC
Group is currently experiencing a period of significant growth and plans
to use
the proceeds from our acquisition of equity interest to accelerate that
growth. Between 2004 and 2007, its revenues and net income increased
by 271% and 1,016%, respectively. During that period, the SMC Group’s
number of employees grew 367%, while the number of independent financial
advisors rose by 218%. It currently anticipates hiring an additional
1,000 employees during the current fiscal year. This growth has
placed, and the future growth the SMC Group anticipates, will continue
to place,
a significant strain on its managerial, operational, financial and technology
resources. As part of this growth, the SMC Group will have to
implement new operational and financial systems and procedures and controls,
expand its office facilities, train and manage its employee base and
maintain
close coordination among its technical, accounting, finance, marketing,
sales
and editorial staffs.
If
the
SMC Group is unable to manage its growth effectively, it will be unable
to
implement its growth strategy, which would be detrimental to its long-term
business outlook and may cause the Group’s revenue and profitability in future
periods to fall short of the Group’s projections, including the projections
disclosed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations of the SMC Group — Projected Financial Results for the
Combined SMC Group.”
The
SMC Group’s rapid growth may require additional financing, which it might not be
able to procure or procure on favorable terms. Any future equity
offerings by the SMC Group may lead to dilution of our equity
interest.
The
SMC
Group’s growth is dependent on having a strong balance sheet to support its
activities. It may need to raise additional capital from time to
time, dependent on business conditions and it may not be able to procure
such
additional funds, or at least not on favorable terms, due to factors
beyond its
control. Factors that would require the SMC Group to raise additional
capital could be business growth beyond what the current balance sheet
can
sustain, additional capital requirements imposed due to changes in regulatory
regime or new guidelines or significant depletion in its existing capital
base
due to unusual operating losses. Any new issue of equity or
convertible securities would dilute existing shareholders, including
us, and
such issuance may not be done at terms and conditions favorable to us
or the SMC
Group. Likewise, any debt financing that the SMC Group may decide to
pursue in the future may not be entered into on terms and conditions
favorable
to the SMC Group.
The
SMC Group may be unable to make desirable acquisitions or to integrate
successfully any businesses it acquires.
The
SMC
Group’s strategy includes the search for suitable acquisition targets that
it
believes are a strategic fit with its business. If the SMC Group
acquires another company, it may not be able successfully to integrate
any
businesses, products, technologies or personnel of that company
without significant expenditure of managerial, operational and
financial resources, and it may fail to realize the anticipated benefits
of
certain acquisitions. Acquisitions may strain its
managerial and operational resources, as the challenge of managing new
operations may divert its staff from monitoring and improving the SMC
Group’s
existing operations. They may also burden the SMC Group’s financial
resources, as the group may have to incur substantial debt to finance
the
acquisition. All of these factors could materially and adversely
affect the SMC Group’s financial condition and results of
operations. Finally, future acquisitions could dilute our
shareholders’ interest in the SMC Group, if the group decides to finance the
acquisition in whole or in part with the issuance of equity.
The
SMC Group’s business is dependent on relationships formed by its relationship
managers with its clients; any events that harm these relationships,
including
the loss of its relationship managers, may lead to a decline in its revenues
and
profits.
The
SMC
Group’s business is dependent on the team of relationship managers who directly
manage client relationships. The SMC Group believes that relationship
managers servicing specific clients leads to long-term client relationships,
a
trust-based business environment and over time, better cross-selling
opportunities. While no relationship manager or operating group of
relationship managers contributes a meaningful percentage of the business,
the
SMC Group’s revenues and profits may materially decline if a substantial number
of relationship managers either become ineffective or leave the
organization.
The
SMC Group depends on its management team and the loss of team members
may
adversely affect its revenues and profits.
The
SMC
Group believes that it has a strong team of professionals to oversee
the
operations and growth of its businesses. If one or more members of
its management team are unable or unwilling to continue in their present
positions, such persons would be difficult to replace and the SMC Group’s
revenues and profits could decline or fail to grow at the rate projected
by the
Group. The SMC Group may lose its key management team to its clients
or competitors. For details on its management, please refer to the
section “Management of SMC Group.”
The
SMC Group faces risks attributable to derivatives trading by clients
and its
risk management policies may be inadequate to deal with these
risks.
The
SMC
Group offers derivatives brokerage services. Since some derivative
instruments involve leveraged positions on the underlying assets, they
involve a
higher degree of risk, both for investors and for market intermediaries,
than do
traditional financial instruments, such as stocks or bonds. The SMC
Group may face financial losses if it fails adequately to manage the
risk
created by its clients’ trading in derivative instruments.
–
21
–
The
SMC Group’s plans to provide margin funding will expose it to new risks that
clients may not honor their commitments, which would affect the SMC Group’s
results of operations.
The
SMC
Group plans to provide margin funding to its clients. The SMC Group
expects to require clients to deposit a minimum initial margin, and if
the
client is not able to pay the balance amount to the SMC Group before
the pay-in
date of the exchange for the relevant transaction, the SMC Group expects,
in
line with market practice, to extend significant credit to clients at
market
interest rates for the purchase of shares. In case of highly volatile
markets or adverse movements in share prices, it is possible that the
group’s
clients may not honor their commitments, which may result in losses for
the SMC
Group. During periods of rapidly declining markets in which the value
of the collateral held by the SMC Group could fall below the amount of
a
customer’s indebtedness, may also result in losses for the SMC
Group.
Furthermore,
the SMC Group has not had any prior experience with margin funding and
its risk
management procedures (such as pre-determined margin call or collateral
liquidation thresholds) may be inadequate to guard against material
losses.
The
SMC Group is materially dependent on the continued acceptance and growth
of
electronic commerce and online trading in India, which is uncertain and,
to a
large extent, beyond its control. If the SMC Group does not realize the
expected
benefits from its investment in electronic commerce and online trading,
it could
suffer from a decline in profits.
Electronic
commerce and online trading in India is still in its
infancy. Currently more than two million Indian residents trade
online (out of a population of 1.1 billion). In addition, many Indian
consumers have deferred transacting online for a number of reasons, including
the existence or perception of, among other things:
·
|
limited
access to the internet for most Indian
consumers;
|
·
|
absence
of a fully functional and secure electronic payment gateway;
and
|
·
|
perceived
lack of security of commercial data such as credit card
number.
|
If
usage
of the internet in India for electronic commerce does not substantially
increase
and network infrastructures in India are not further developed, the SMC
Group
will not realize the expected benefits from its investment in the development
of
electronic commerce and online trading products and services, which could
negatively affect the Group’s profitability.
The
success of the SMC Group’s online brokerage business depends on its
relationships with India’s internet-enabled banks that also compete with
it.
For
its
online trading business to be successful, its clients must be able easily
and
quickly to execute online funds transfers to the SMC Group from their
bank
accounts to pay for purchases of stock. Online brokerages in other
countries, such as the United States, require their customers to maintain
cash
deposit accounts with them, and funds are automatically withdrawn from
these
accounts to settle the customers’ stock purchases. Since Indian
banking regulations do no allow securities brokers to pay interest on
client
deposit accounts, and clients are generally unwilling to forego interest
payments on their deposits, they generally prefer to keep their cash
accounts
with a commercial bank until the funds are needed to execute a stock
trade. To minimize its credit risk, the SMC Group will not execute
cash stock purchases for its clients until they have transferred the
requisite
funds into one of its deposit accounts.
The
ability to quickly and easily transfer funds to and from its clients’ bank
accounts requires that the SMC Group maintain good relationships with
those
banks, some of which also compete with the SMC Group. If the SMC Group
is unable
to maintain these relationships, its online trading revenues will suffer
and its
results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
The
SMC Group’s financial condition and results of operations may suffer if it is
unable to maintain an appropriate balance between its regional offices
and
independent financial advisors.
The
SMC
Group operates through a network of owned regional offices and offices
maintained by independent financial advisors and strives to maintain
an
appropriate balance between both. Failure to maintain this balance
gives rise to the following risks:
Regional
Offices
The
SMC
Group currently has approximately 1,100 employees working in eight regional
offices in addition to its New Delhi headquarters. It plans to expand
its network of regional offices to 15 offices over the following two
years. Given the number and geographical dispersion of its regional
offices, the SMC Group may not be able effectively to monitor or supervise
their
operations, which may result in higher incidents of compliance breaches
among
its employees in those offices.
Evaluating
proposed office sites and setting up offices requires financial and human
capital. In case a regional office turns out to be unprofitable, the
SMC Group may have to close down the office. Future office shutdowns
may cause the SMC Group not to be able to recover the capital investment
in
those offices and could materially and adversely affect the SMC
Group’s financial condition and results of operations.
–
22
–
Independent
financial advisors
The
SMC
Group currently has approximately 6,000 independent financial
advisors. While independent financial advisors work under the overall
supervision of the SMC Group as per its policies and share in its revenues,
they
are typically independent entrepreneurs and not employees of the
group. The risk that they engage in undesirable trade or market
practices is therefore higher than for the SMC Group’s
employees. Business associates might act on conflicts of interest in
a manner that is not in the interest of the SMC Group, such as when they
sell
financial products of one of its competitors. Any of these practices
could result in a loss of reputation and business for the SMC Group,
which could
lead to a material decline in revenues and profits.
The
SMC Group’s plans to expand outside of India and is exposed to various risks as
a result, including the risk that it may not obtain, or not in a timely
manner,
requisite approvals from foreign governments.
The
SMC
Group has recently opened an office in Dubai and plans to open offices
in New
York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong. The SMC Group does
not have significant prior experience in establishing and operating offices
outside of India. In order to establish and operate these offices,
the SMC Group would require clearance and approvals from the relevant
regulatory
authorities. If the SMC Group does not receive the requisite
clearance or approvals, or does not receive them in a timely manner,
its
business plan, financial condition and revenues and profits may be materially
and adversely affected. Establishing and/or operating in foreign
jurisdictions will also impose new compliance requirements on the SMC
Group,
which will increase expenses and could materially reduce profits. The
SMC Group would also be exposed to currency and political risks in those
jurisdictions as well as the management risks inherent in expanding its
operations outside of India.
Item
2. Unregistered
Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
On
July
25, 2006, we completed our initial public offering of 7,250,000 units at
a price
of $8.00 per unit. We received proceeds of $52,855,000 from our initial
public
offering, which was net of $3,587,500 in underwriting fees and other expenses
paid in cash at the closing and deferred underwriting fees and the
representative’s non-accountable expense allowance of $1,557,500. The deferred
portion of the underwriting fees and representative’s non-accountable expense
allowance is included in additional paid-in capital and will only be paid
upon
our consummation of a business combination. Each unit consists of one share
of
our common stock and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock.
Additionally, on June 30, 2006, we sold 2,250,000 warrants, at a price
of $1.00
per warrant, for an aggregate purchase price of $2,250,000 to our officers,
certain of our directors, other persons who owned shares of our common
stock
prior to such sale, and, in some instances, to their respective affiliates.
The
aggregate net proceeds of $56,662,500 from our initial public offering
and our
private placement offering have been placed in a trust account. Up to
an aggregate of $1,975,000 of the interest accrued on the amounts held
in the
trust account (net of taxes payable) is available to us to fund a portion
of our
working capital requirements. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. acted
as representative for the underwriters in connection with our initial public
offering.
Our
founders advanced an aggregate of $148,000 to us, which was used to pay
a
portion of the expenses of the initial public offering including SEC
registration fee, NASD filing fee, the non-refundable portion of the American
Stock Exchange listing fee, and a portion of the non-accountable expense
allowance, legal and audit fees and expenses. The loans were repaid out
of the
proceeds of the initial offering that was not placed in the trust.
Item
3. Defaults
upon Senior Securities
Not
applicable.
Item
4. Submission
of Matters to a Vote of the Security Holders
Not
applicable.
Item
5. Other
Information
Not
applicable.
–
23
–
Item
6. Exhibits
(a) Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number
|
Exhibit
Description
|
||
31.1
|
Certification
by Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
||
31.2
|
Certification
by Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
||
32.1
|
Certification
by Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer
pursuant to
18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
|
–
24
–
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant
has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto
duly authorized.
MILLENNIUM INDIA ACQUISITION COMPANY INC. | |||
|
By:
|
/s/ F. Jacob Cherian | |
F. Jacob
Cherian
|
|||
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|||
(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Suhel Kanuga | |
Suhel
Kanuga
|
|||
Executive
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and
Secretary
|
|||
(Principal
Financial Officer)
|
Date:
November 13, 2007
–
25
–