New Delhi, July 13 :
Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd (HFCL) today acquired Motorola's paging venture Page Point at zero value with a liability of Rs 4 crore and reserves of Rs 30 crore.
Deepak Malhotra, managing director of Page Point, said, 'HFCL is a leading player in the paging business with presence in seven major cities in the country. This acquisition has not only doubled the subscriber base but also reiterates the company's commitment to the paging industry.'
Motorola, along with its Indian partner, invested Rs 125 crore in Page Point. The company has a subscriber base of over 90,000 and registered a cash profit of Rs 7 crore. Motorola has been planning to get out of the operation business as part of its worldwide strategy. With this acquisition, HFCL has become the largest paging operator in India with close to 2 lakh subscribers.
'The company is bound to benefit since we have reached the critical mass in one stroke. This assures profit,' said Mahendra Nahata, group chairman of HFCL.
HFCL has expanded its footprint in paging operations in south and west. It offers paging services under the PageLink and Page Point brand names in several cities.