Meaning of Demerger

It has been defined as a split or division. As the same suggests, it denotes a situation opposite to that of merger. Demerger or spin-off, as called in US involves splitting up of conglomerate (multi-division) of company into separate companies.

This occurs in cases where dissimilar business are carried on within the same company, thus becoming unwieldy and cyclical almost resulting in a loss situation. Corporate restructuring in such situation in the form of demerger becomes inevitable. Merger of SG chemical and Dyes Ltd. with Ambalal Sarabhai enterprises Ltd. (ASE) has made ASE big conglomerate which had become unwieldy and cyclic, so demerger of ASE was done.

A part from core competencies being main reason for demerging companies according to their nature of business, in some cases, restructuring in the form of demerger was undertaken for splitting up the family owned large business empires into smaller companies.

The historical demerger of DCM group where it split into four companies (DCM Ltd., DCM shriram industries Ltd., Shriram Industrial Enterprise Ltd. and DCM shriram consolidated Ltd.) is one example of family units splitting through demergers. Such demergers are accordingly, more in the nature of family settlements and are affected through the courts order.

Thus, demerger also occur due to reasons almost the same as mergers i.e. the desire to perform better and strengthen efficiency, business interest and longevity and to curb losses, wastage and competition. Undertakings demerge to delineate businesses and fix responsibility, liability and management so as to ensure improved results from each of the demerged unit.

Demerged Company, according to Section (19AA) of Income Tax Act, 1961 means the company whose undertaking is transferred, pursuant to a demerger to a resulting company. Resulting company, according to Section2(47A) of Income Tax Act,1961 means one or more company, (including a wholly owned subsidiary thereof) to which the undertaking of the demerged company is transferred in a demerger, and the resulting company in consideration of such transfer of undertaking issues shares to the shareholders of the demerged company and include any authority or body or local authority or public sector company or a company established, constituted or formed as a result of demerger.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *