(1)

The open offer for acquiring shares to be made by the acquirer and persons acting in concert with him under regulation 3 and regulation 4 shall be for at least twenty six per cent of total shares of the target company, as of tenth working day from the closure of the tendering period:

Provided that the total shares of the target company as of tenth working day from the closure of the tendering period shall take into account all potential increases in the number of outstanding shares during the offer period contemplated as of the date of the public announcement: Provided further that the offer size shall be proportionately increased in case of an increase in total number of shares, after the public announcement, which is not contemplated on the date of the public announcement.

(2)

The open offer made under regulation 6 shall be for acquisition of at least such number of shares as would entitle the holder thereof to exercise an additional ten per cent of the [voting rights in] [Substituted 'total shares of' by Notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/33, dated 11.9.2018 (w.e.f. 23.9.2011).] the target company, and shall not exceed such number of shares as would result in the post-acquisition holding of the acquirer and persons acting in concert with him exceeding the maximum permissible non-public shareholding applicable to such target company:

Provided that in the event of a competing offer being made, the acquirer who has voluntarily made a public announcement of an open offer under regulation 6 shall be entitled to increase the number of shares for which the open offer has been made to such number of shares as he deems fit:

Provided further that such increase in offer size shall have to be made within a period of fifteen working days from the public announcement of a competing offer, failing which the acquirer shall not be entitled to increase the offer size.

(3)

Upon an acquirer opting to increase the offer size under sub-regulation (2), such open offer shall be deemed to have been made under sub-regulation (2) of regulation 3 and the provisions of these regulations shall apply accordingly.

(4)

In the event the shares accepted in the open offer were such that the shareholding of the acquirer taken together with persons acting in concert with him pursuant to completion of the open offer results in their shareholding exceeding the maximum permissible non-public shareholding, the acquirer shall be required to bring down the non-public shareholding to the level specified and within the time permitted under Securities Contract (Regulation) Rules, 1957.

(5)

The acquirer whose shareholding exceeds the maximum permissible non-public shareholding, pursuant to an open offer under these regulations, shall not be eligible to make a voluntary delisting offer under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Delisting of Equity Shares) Regulations, 2009, unless a period of twelve months has elapsed from the date of the completion of the offer period. (6) Any open offer made under these regulations shall be made to all shareholders of the target company, other than the acquirer, persons acting in concert with him and the parties to any underlying agreement including persons deemed to be acting in concert with such parties, for the sale of shares of the target company.