The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves the acquisition of Global Content Alpha Partners Holdco Pte. Ltd. (GCAPH) by Starnmeer B.V. (Starnmeer) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.

Starnmeer, a recently incorporated entity, is ultimately owned and controlled by funds comprising the Baring Asia Private Equity Fund VII, a fund affiliated with Baring Private Equity Asia Pte. Ltd. (BPEA). BPEA  is  an  international  private  equity  firm  with  a  focus  on  private  equity investments in Asia. BPEA and its affiliates currently inter alia hold investments in various entities that are engaged in the provision of Information Technology (IT) and IT enabled services (ITeS) in India (Portfolio Entities). 

GCAPH is  engaged  in  the  provision  of  services  within  the  IT  &  ITeS sector (more specifically Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO)services) and caters to  customers  that  are  engaged  in the  communications,  media,  and  services sector and  the  education  sector.  In  India, GCAPH is  present  through  its subsidiaries    namely, LearningMate    Solutions    Private    Limited, SPI Technologies   India   Private   Limited, Scope   e-Knowledge   Center   Private Limited, and Scientific Publishing Services Private Limited.

The Proposed Combination, notified under Sections 5(a) of the Competition Act, 2002, concerns the proposed acquisition of up to the entire issued share capital of GCAPH from its existing shareholders.

A detailed order of the CCI will follow.

Merger control approval: private equity acquisition of an IT/ BPO group notified and cleared under competition law. Merger control clearance under the Competition Act is recorded for a proposed acquisition by a private equity owned purchaser of the entire issued share capital of an entity active in the IT and ITeS sector, principally providing Business Process Outsourcing services, with the target present in India through multiple subsidiaries; the combination was notified under the Act's pre merger notification framework concerning the transfer of share capital and a detailed regulatory order will follow.