Highlights
Ant Group Reduces Stake in Paytm
Ant Group, the financial services division of Chinese conglomerate Alibaba, has reduced its ownership in One97 Communications, the parent company of fintech giant Paytm, by approximately 4%. The divestment amounts to Rs 2,103 crore, which translates to around $246 million.
As reported in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Ant Group sold 2.55 crore equity shares at an average price of Rs 824.67 each through block deals. This sale marks a continued reduction in Ant’s shareholding in the Noida-based firm, as the Chinese investor progressively withdraws from its involvement with the Indian fintech leader.
Investment banking firm Goldman Sachs (India) has purchased 3.73 million equity shares at a price of Rs 823.1 each, resulting in a total investment of Rs 307 crore, as detailed in the BSE filing.
Media reports indicate that both Goldman Sachs and Citigroup Global are serving as placement agents for the ongoing stake divestment.
Ant Group’s Stake Decline
As of the March quarter, Antfin (Netherlands) Holding BV held a 9.85% stake in the digital payments firm Paytm, according to BSE shareholding data. Following the recent sale, Antfin’s stake has now decreased to 5.85%.
Since 2015, Alibaba and Ant Financial have collectively invested around $851 million in Paytm. Notably, on August 25, 2023, Ant Group sold a 3.6% stake in Paytm for Rs 2,037 crore. Earlier in August 2023, Ant transferred its 10.3% stake in One97 Communications to the company’s founder and CEO, Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
Paytm’s Financial Performance
For the quarter ending March 2025, Paytm reported a 16% decline in revenue from operations, dropping from Rs 2,267 crore in Q4 FY24. In contrast, the company’s losses decreased significantly by 96% to Rs 23 crore during the same period.
At the conclusion of the trading day, Paytm’s shares were valued at Rs 856.55 each, bringing its total market capitalization to Rs 54,634 crore, or approximately $6.4 billion.
