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Form F-3 Azure Power Global Ltd

August 31, 2018 4:36 PM
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 31, 2018

Registration No. 333-        

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

 

FORM F-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

AZURE POWER GLOBAL LIMITED

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Mauritius   Not Applicable

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

3rd Floor, Asset 301-304 and 307,

Worldmark 3, Aerocity, New Delhi 110037, India

Tel: 0091 11 4940 9800

(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

CT Corporation System

111 Eighth Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10011

Telephone: (212) 894-8940

(Name, address, and telephone number of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

Shuang Zhao, Esq.

Robert Williams, Esq.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

c/o 37th Floor, Hysan Place

500 Hennessy Road

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

+852 2532 3748

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement is effective.

If only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.C. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.C. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

Emerging growth company  ☒

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7 (a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to be Registered

  Amount to be
registered(1)
 

Proposed

maximum

offering price
per share(1)

 

Proposed

maximum

aggregate
offering price(1)

  Amount of
registration fee(1)

Primary offering:

               

Equity shares, par value $0.000625 per share(1)

               

Debt securities(1)

               

Warrants(1)

               

Total primary offering

          $50,000,000.00(2)(3)   $6,225.00(3)

Total

              $6,225.00(3)

 

 

(1)

With respect to the primary offering, there are being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of equity shares, an indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, and an indeterminate number of warrants to purchase equity shares and/or debt securities as may be sold by the registrant from time to time, which together shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $50,000,000. If any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount, then the offering price of such debt securities shall be in such greater principal amount as shall result in an aggregate offering price not to exceed $50,000,000, less the aggregate dollar amount of all securities previously issued hereunder. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or in combination with other securities registered hereunder. The proposed maximum offering price per unit will be determined, from time to time, by the registrant in connection with the issuance by the registrant of the securities registered hereunder. The securities registered hereunder also include such indeterminate number of equity shares and amount of debt securities as may be issued upon conversion of or exchange for debt securities that provide for conversion or exchange, upon exercise of warrants or pursuant to the antidilution provisions of any of such securities. In addition, pursuant to Rule 416 under Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, the shares being registered hereunder include such indeterminate number of equity shares as may be issuable with respect to the shares being registered hereunder as a result of stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(2) 

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act, based on the maximum proceeds from the primary offering.

(3) 

Pursuant to Rule 429 under the Securities Act, and as further described below under “Explanatory Note”, this registration statement also relates to, and this amount does not include, (i) an indeterminate number of equity shares, an indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, and an indeterminate number of warrants to purchase equity shares and/or debt securities as may be sold by the registrant from time to time, which together shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $150,000,000 and (ii) 10,000,000 equity shares as may be sold by the selling shareholders, all previously registered pursuant to a prior registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-222171) filed on December 20, 2017 (the “Prior Registration Statement”), which was declared effective on December 29, 2017.

 

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The registrant is filing a single base prospectus in this registration statement pursuant to Rule 429 under the Securities Act, in order to satisfy the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder for (i) an indeterminate number of equity shares, an indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, and an indeterminate number of warrants to purchase equity shares and/or debt securities as may be sold by the registrant, which together shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $50,000,000 in this new registration statement and (ii) (A) an indeterminate number of equity shares, an indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, and an indeterminate number of warrants to purchase equity shares and/or debt securities as may be sold by the registrant, which together shall have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $150,000,000 and (B) 10,000,000 equity shares as may be sold by the selling shareholders registered in the Prior Registration Statement, to enable an aggregate of $200,000,000 of securities to be sold by the registrant and an aggregate of 10,000,000 equity shares to be sold by the selling shareholders pursuant to the combined base prospectus. The combined base prospectus in this registration statement, which is a new registration statement, also constitutes a post-effective amendment to the Prior Registration Statement. Such post-effective amendment shall hereafter become effective concurrently with the effectiveness of this registration statement and in accordance with Section 8(c) of, and Rule 429 under, the Securities Act.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY OR SELL THESE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE.

 

Subject to Completion, dated August 31, 2018

PROSPECTUS

$200,000,000 of

Equity Shares

Debt Securities

Warrants

and

10,000,000 Equity Shares

Offered by Selling Shareholders

LOGO

Azure Power Global Limited

From time to time, we may offer and sell up to an aggregate amount of $200,000,000 of any combination of equity shares, par value $0.000625 per share, debt securities or warrants described in this prospectus (the “Prospectus”) in one or more offerings. We may also offer securities as may be issuable upon conversion, redemption, repurchase, exchange or exercise of any securities registered hereunder, including any applicable antidilution provisions. In addition, selling shareholders (the “Selling Shareholders”) to be named in the applicable prospectus supplement may offer and sell up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of our equity shares, from time to time, on or off the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, on the terms described in this Prospectus or in an applicable prospectus supplement. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares offered by the Selling Shareholders hereunder. To the extent that any Selling Shareholders resells any equity shares, the Selling Shareholders may be required to provide you with this Prospectus and a prospectus supplement identifying and containing specific information about the Selling Shareholder and the terms of the equity shares being offered. We and the Selling Shareholders may sell the securities to or through underwriters and also to other purchasers or through agents. We provide more information about the Selling Shareholders and the related transactions in the section entitled “Selling Shareholders” on page 14 of this Prospectus. The names of any underwriters or agents, and any fees, discounts or other compensation payable to them will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement accompanying this Prospectus.

The specific variable terms of this offering will be set forth in one or more supplements to this Prospectus (a “Prospectus Supplement”) including, the number of shares offered and the offering price.

Our equity shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbol “AZRE.”

The securities may be sold directly, on a continuous or delayed basis, through dealers or agents designated from time to time, to or through underwriters or through a combination of these methods. See “Plan of Distribution” in this Prospectus. We may also describe the plan of distribution for any particular offering of the securities in any applicable Prospectus Supplement. If any agents, underwriters or dealers are involved in the sale of any securities in respect of which this Prospectus is being delivered, we will disclose their names and the nature of our arrangements as well as the net proceeds we expect to receive from any such sale, in the applicable Prospectus Supplement.

You should read this Prospectus and any applicable Prospectus Supplement before you invest in any security.

An investment in these securities involves risks. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” on page 5 of this Prospectus, and other risk factors contained in any applicable Prospectus Supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this Prospectus is                .


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     2  

NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     3  

THE COMPANY

     4  

RISK FACTORS

     5  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     6  

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

     7  

CAPITALIZATION

     8  

ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

     9  

EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY

     10  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     11  

TAXATION

     12  

DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES

     13  

SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

     14  

DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

     15  

EXPENSES

     22  

LEGAL MATTERS

     23  

EXPERTS

     24  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT US

     25  

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     26  

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This Prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and sell, either individually or in combination, in one or more offerings, up to a total dollar amount of $200,000,000 of our equity shares, various series of debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any such securities. In addition, under this shelf process, the Selling Shareholders to be named in any applicable Prospectus Supplement may, from time to time, offer and sell up to 10,000,000 equity shares, as described in this Prospectus and such Prospectus Supplement, in one or more offerings.

This Prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that may be offered from time to time. We may provide you with a Prospectus Supplement to this Prospectus that will provide updated information if required whenever our equity shares are offered pursuant to this Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement. This may include a Prospectus Supplement that will describe the information about the securities being offered and the specific terms of that offering. The Prospectus Supplement may also add, update or change the information contained in this Prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement, you should rely on the Prospectus Supplement. Before purchasing any securities, you should read carefully both this Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement, together with the additional information described below.

This Prospectus does not contain all the information provided in the registration statement that we filed with the SEC. For further information about us or the securities offered hereby, you should refer to the registration statement, which you can obtain from the SEC as described below under “Where You Can Find Additional Information About Us.”

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this Prospectus and in any Prospectus Supplement. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information in this Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We and the Selling Shareholders will not make any offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this Prospectus and the applicable supplement to this Prospectus is accurate as of the date on its respective cover, and that any information incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

In this Prospectus and in any Prospectus Supplement, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, all amounts are expressed in Indian Rupees or INR and / or “U.S. dollars” or “US$”, lawful currency of Republic of India and United States, respectively. Unless otherwise indicated, all financial information included in this Prospectus or included in any Prospectus Supplement is determined using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) Except as set forth under “Description of Share Capital”, and unless the context otherwise requires, all references in this Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement to “Azure”, the “Company”, the “Corporation”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Azure Power Global Limited and its subsidiaries.

 

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NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Prospectus and the annual report referred elsewhere in this document contains forward looking statements about our current expectations and views of future events. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this Prospectus and the annual report, including statements about our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and future megawatt goals of management, are forward looking statements. These statements relate to events that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, some of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events and are not a guarantee of future performance. All statements in this document that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, such matters as:

 

   

the pace of government sponsored auctions;

 

   

changes in auction rules;

 

   

the government’s willingness to enforce Renewable Purchase Obligations;

 

   

permitting, development and construction of our project pipeline according to schedule;

 

   

solar radiation in the regions in which we operate;

 

   

developments in, or changes to, laws, regulations, governmental policies, incentives and taxation affecting our operations;

 

   

adverse changes or developments in the industry in which we operate;

 

   

our ability to maintain and enhance our market position;

 

   

our ability to successfully implement any of our business strategies, including acquiring other companies;

 

   

our ability to enter into power purchasing agreements, or PPAs, on acceptable terms, the occurrence of any event that may expose us to certain risks under our PPAs and the willingness and ability of counterparties to our PPAs to fulfill their obligations;

 

   

our ability to borrow additional funds and access capital markets, as well as our substantial indebtedness and the possibility that we may incur additional indebtedness going forward;

 

   

our ability to establish and operate new solar projects;

 

   

our ability to compete against traditional and renewable energy companies;

 

   

the loss of one or more members of our senior management or key employees;

 

   

political and economic conditions in India;

 

   

material changes in the costs of solar panels and other equipment required for our operations;

 

   

fluctuations in inflation, interest rates and exchange rates; and

 

   

other risks and uncertainties, including those referred to under the caption “Risk Factors.”

The forward-looking statements made in this Prospectus relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this Prospectus. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this Prospectus and the documents that we reference in this Prospectus and have filed as exhibits with the SEC, of which the annual report is also a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect.

This Prospectus also contains statistical data and estimates, including those relating to the solar industry and our competition from market research, analyst reports and other publicly available sources. These publications include forward-looking statements being made by the authors of such reports. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

 

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THE COMPANY

We are a leading independent solar power producer in India. We developed India’s first private utility scale solar project in 2009 and have been at the forefront in the sector as a developer, constructor and operator of utility scale, micro-grid and rooftop solar projects since our inception in 2008. With our inhouse engineering, procurement and construction expertise and advanced in-house operations and maintenance capability, we manage the entire development and operation process, providing low-cost solar power solutions to customers throughout India. Our equity shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AZRE.”

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investment in our securities is subject to various risks. Before deciding whether to invest in any of our securities, investors should consider carefully the risks incorporated by reference in this Prospectus (including documents that are subsequently filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference) and those described in any Prospectus Supplement, including those in “Item 3—Key Information—D. Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2018, filed with the Commission on June 15, 2018, which is incorporated in this prospectus by reference, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and any risk factors and other information described in the applicable prospectus supplement or relevant free writing prospectus before acquiring any of our securities. Please see the sections of this Prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find Additional Information About Us” and “Information Incorporated by Reference.” The occurrence of one or more of those risk factors could adversely impact our business, financial condition or results of operations and cause the value of our securities to decline.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We will not receive any proceeds from sales of our equity shares by the Selling Shareholders.

Unless otherwise specified in a Prospectus Supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the securities will be added to the general funds of the Company to be used for general corporate purposes, which may include reducing outstanding indebtedness and financing capital expenditures, investments and working capital requirements of the Company. Specific information about the use of proceeds from the sale of any securities will be set forth in a Prospectus Supplement. The Company may invest funds that it does not immediately require in short-term marketable debt securities.

The net proceeds to be received by the Company from the sale of the securities from time to time under this Prospectus or by a Prospectus Supplement are not expected to be applied to fund any specific project. The Company’s overall corporate strategy and major initiatives supporting its strategy are summarized in the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended March 31, 2018, as modified or superseded by information contained in the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the three months ended June 30, 2018, and any subsequent periods, incorporated herein by reference.

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges on a historical basis for the period indicated. The ratio of earnings to fixed charges is computed by dividing earnings by fixed charges.

 

                          For the Three
Months Ended
June 30, 2018
 
     For the Year Ended March 31,  
     2016      2017      2018  

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges(1)

     —          —          —          1.05  

 

(1) 

Earnings for the years ended March 31, 2016, 2017 and 2018 were insufficient to cover fixed charges by INR 1,561.9 million (US$22.8 million), INR 579.8 million (US$8.5 million), and INR 1,633.0 million (US$23.9 million) respectively. Refer Exhibit 12.1 for details. The translation of INR to US$ is based on the exchange rate of INR 68.46 to US$ 1.00, the noon buying rate in effect as of June 29, 2018 as set forth in the H.10 Statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board, solely for the convenience of readers.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The Company had 25,996,932 equity shares issued as of June 30, 2018. Subsequent to June 30, 2018, the Company issued 26,858 equity shares to its employees, pursuant to Employee Stock Option Plan 2015 and Equity Incentive Plan 2016 (as amended in 2017), resulting in 26,023,790 equity shares issued as of August 31, 2018.

 

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ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

We are incorporated in Mauritius and our primary operating subsidiary, Azure Power India Private Limited, is incorporated in India. The majority of our directors and executive officers are not residents of the United States and substantially all of our assets and the assets of such persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon such persons or us. In addition, you may be unable to enforce judgments obtained in courts of the United States against such persons outside the jurisdiction of their residence, including judgments predicated solely upon U.S. securities laws.

There is uncertainty as to whether the courts in Mauritius would enforce judgments obtained in the United States against us or our directors or executive officers, as well as the experts named herein, based on the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or allow actions in Mauritius against us or our directors or executive officers based only upon the securities laws of the United States. Further, foreign judgments may not be given effect to by a Mauritius court where it would be contrary to any principle affecting public policy in Mauritius or to the extent that they constitute the payment of an amount which is in the nature of a penalty and not in the nature of liquidated damages.

In addition to and irrespective of jurisdictional issues, neither Mauritian nor Indian courts will enforce a provision of the U.S. federal securities laws that is either penal in nature or contrary to public policy. An action brought pursuant to a public or penal law, the purpose of which is the enforcement of a sanction, power or right at the instance of the state in its sovereign capacity, is unlikely to be entertained by Mauritian or Indian courts. Specified remedies available under the laws of U.S. jurisdictions, including specified remedies under U.S. federal securities laws, would not be available under Mauritian or Indian law or enforceable in a Mauritian or Indian court, if they are considered to be contrary to Mauritian or Indian public policy. An award of punitive damages under a United States court judgment based upon United States federal securities laws is likely to be construed by Mauritian and Indian courts to be penal in nature and therefore unenforceable in both Mauritius and India. Further, no claim may be brought in Mauritius or India against us or our directors and officers, as well as the experts named herein, in the first instance for a violation of U.S. federal securities laws because these laws have no extraterritorial application under Mauritian or Indian law and do not have force of law in Mauritius or India.

Section 44A of the Indian Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, as amended, or the Civil Procedure Code, provides that where a foreign judgment has been rendered by a superior court in any country or territory outside of India which the Indian government has by notification declared to be a reciprocating territory, such foreign judgment may be enforced in India by proceedings in execution as if the judgment had been rendered by an appropriate court in India. However, the enforceability of such judgments is subject to the exceptions set forth in Section 13 of the Civil Procedure Code. This section, which is the statutory basis for the recognition of foreign judgments, states that a foreign judgment is conclusive as to any matter directly adjudicated upon except:

 

   

where the judgment has not been pronounced by a court of competent jurisdiction;

 

   

where the judgment has not been given on the merits of the case;

 

   

where the judgment appears on the face of the proceedings to be founded on an incorrect view of international law or a refusal to recognize the law of India in cases where such law is applicable;

 

   

where the proceedings in which the judgment was obtained were opposed to natural justice;

 

   

where the judgment has been obtained by fraud; or

 

   

where the judgment sustains a claim founded on a breach of any law in force in India.

Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code is applicable only to decrees or judgments under which a sum of money is payable not being in the nature of amounts payable in respect of taxes or other charges of a similar nature or in respect of fines or other penalties and does not include arbitration awards. It is unlikely that a court in India would award damages on the same basis as a foreign court if an action were brought in India. Furthermore, it is unlikely that an Indian court would enforce a foreign judgment if it viewed the amount of damages awarded as excessive or inconsistent with public policy or practice in India.

If a judgment of a foreign court is not enforceable under Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code as described above, it may be enforced in India only by a suit filed upon the judgment, subject to Section 13 of the Civil Procedure Code, and not by proceedings in execution. The United States has not been declared by the Indian government to be a reciprocating territory for the purposes of Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code. Accordingly, a judgment of a court in the United States may be enforced only by filing a fresh suit on the basis of the judgment and not by proceedings in execution.

The suit must be brought in India within three years from the date of the judgment in the same manner as any other suit filed to enforce a civil liability in India. It is difficult to predict whether a suit brought in an Indian court will be disposed of in a timely manner or be subject to untimely delay. Further, under the Civil Procedure Code, a court in India shall, upon the production of any document purporting to be a certified copy of a foreign judgment, presume that the judgment was pronounced by a court of competent jurisdiction, unless the contrary appears on record.

A party seeking to enforce a foreign judgment in India is required to obtain prior approval from the Reserve Bank of India under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, as amended, to repatriate any amount recovered pursuant to such enforcement. Any judgment in a foreign currency would be converted into Indian rupees on the date of judgment and not on the date of payment.

A final and conclusive judgment in the superior courts of a foreign jurisdiction, or foreign courts, other than the courts of the United Kingdom, under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum payable in respect of taxes, fines, penalties or similar charges) may be recognized by, and be enforceable in, the courts of Mauritius if (1) the judgment is still valid, final and is capable of execution in the jurisdiction in which it was delivered; (2) the judgment is not contrary to any principle affecting public policy in Mauritius; (3) the foreign courts had jurisdiction to hear the claim; and (4) our company had been regularly summoned to attend the proceedings before the foreign courts. Any judgment expressed in a foreign currency by a foreign court, may, when made executory in Mauritius, be expressed in that foreign currency. A valid and final judgment rendered by a court in the United States may not be enforced in Mauritius except by way of exequatur under the Mauritius Code on Civil Procedure. The exequatur may be sought in Mauritius so long as the valid and final judgment is capable of execution in the United States.

A final and conclusive judgment or order in the superior courts of the United Kingdom under which a sum of money is made payable (and including an award in proceedings on an arbitration if the award has, under the law in force in the place where it was made, become enforceable in the same manner as a judgment by a court in that place) would, on registration in accordance with the provisions of The Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act 1923 be enforceable in the Supreme Court of Mauritius. Any judgment expressed in pounds sterling or other currency by a superior court of the United Kingdom, may, when made executory in Mauritius, be expressed in pounds sterling or any other currency at the rate of exchange prevailing at the date of judgment of the original court.

 

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EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY

As a company with less than US$1.07 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” pursuant to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and amendments thereto. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other burdens that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of the emerging growth company’s internal control over financial reporting. The JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company need not comply with any new or revised financial accounting standard until such date that a non-reporting company is required to comply with such new or revised accounting standard. We have in this Prospectus utilized, and we plan in future filings with the SEC, to continue to utilize, the modified disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies. Furthermore, we are not required to present selected financial information or any management’s discussion herein for any period prior to the earliest audited period presented in connection with this Prospectus.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (a) the last day of our fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of at least US$1.07 billion; (b) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of the initial public offering of the Company; (c) the date on which we have, during the previous 3-year period, issued more than US$1.0 billion in non-convertible debt; or (d) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act. When we are no longer deemed to be an emerging growth company, we will not be entitled to the exemptions provided in the JOBS Act discussed above. If we choose to take advantage of any of these reduced reporting burdens, the information that we provide shareholders may be different than you might get from other public companies.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or the Selling Shareholders, from time to time, may sell the securities to or through underwriters, agents or dealers and also may sell the securities directly to purchasers pursuant to applicable statutory exemptions or through agents.

The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, or at prices related to such prevailing market prices to be negotiated with purchasers.

The Prospectus Supplement relating to each series of the securities will also set forth the terms of the offering of the securities, including to the extent applicable, the initial offering price, the proceeds to the Company or the Selling Shareholders, the underwriting concessions or commissions, and any other discounts or concessions to be allowed or re-allowed to dealers. Underwriters or agents with respect to securities sold to or through underwriters or agents will be named in the Prospectus Supplement relating to such securities.

In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters may receive compensation from the Company, the Selling Shareholders or purchasers of the securities for whom they may act as agents in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Any such commissions will be paid either using a portion of the funds received in connection with the sale of the securities or out of the general funds of the Company or the Selling Shareholders.

Under agreements which may be entered into by the Company, the Selling Shareholders, underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of the securities may be entitled to indemnification by the Company or the Selling Shareholders against certain liabilities, including liabilities under securities legislation, or to contribution with respect to payments which such underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make in respect thereof.

In connection with any offering of securities, the underwriters, agents or dealers may over-allot or effect transactions which stabilize or maintain the market price of the Securities offered at levels above those which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

 

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TAXATION

Material income tax consequences relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of any of the securities offered by this Prospectus will be set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement relating to the offering of those securities.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES

We may issue from time to time, in one or more offerings, the following securities:

 

   

equity shares;

 

   

debt securities; and

 

   

warrants.

We will set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement a description of the debt securities and warrants, and, in certain cases, the equity shares that may be offered under this Prospectus. The terms of the offering of securities, the initial offering price and the net proceeds to us will be contained in the Prospectus Supplement, and other offering material, relating to such offer. The supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this Prospectus. You should carefully read this Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement before you invest in any of our securities.

 

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SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

This Prospectus covers the resale, from time to time, of equity shares of up to 10,000,000 equity shares that were issued and outstanding as of the date of the registration statement. The Selling Shareholders may sell all, some or none of equity shares covered by this Prospectus. These equity shares were originally issued to the Selling Shareholders as a result of the conversion of compulsorily convertible preferred shares or compulsorily convertible debentures in connection with our initial public offering. Such preferred shares and debentures were initially acquired in private placements of shares prior to our initial public offering.

Additional information about any selling shareholders, including its beneficial ownership of our equity shares, the number of equity shares being offered and sold by it, and the number of shares beneficially owned by it after the applicable offering, will be set forth in a Prospectus Supplement, in a post-effective amendment or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act which are incorporated by reference into this Prospectus.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

Equity Shares

General

All of the equity shares are fully paid. The preparation, issue and delivery of certificates shall be governed by the Mauritius Companies Act.

As of August 31, 2018, 26,023,790 equity shares were issued with par value of $0.000625 per share.

Dividends

To the extent permitted by the Mauritius Companies Act and our Constitution, dividends may only be paid out of retained earnings (after having made good any accumulated losses of ours at the beginning of any relevant accounting period), to the shareholders according to their rights and interests, and no distribution (which term includes dividend) may be made unless our board of directors is satisfied that, upon the distribution being made (1) we are able to pay our debts as they become due in the normal course of business and (2) the value of our assets is greater than the sum of (a) the value of our liabilities and (b) our stated capital. Subject to the Mauritius Companies Act and our Constitution, the declaration and payment of any dividend has to be authorized by the board of directors.

Any distribution or part thereof payable in cash, or any other sum payable in cash to the holder of shares may be paid by wire transfer to the account designated by the Shareholder or by cheque, postal, or money order sent through the post or by courier addressed to the holder at his address in our register of shareholders or, in the case of joint holders, addressed to the holder whose name stands first in our register of shareholders in respect of the shares at his registered address as appearing in the said register or addressed to such person at such address as the holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque, postal, money order or wire transfer shall, unless the holder or joint holders otherwise direct, be made payable to the order of the holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the order of the holder whose name stands first in our register of shareholders in respect of such shares, and shall be sent at his or their risk and payment of the cheque, postal, money order or wire transfer by the bank on which it is drawn shall constitute a good discharge to us. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any dividends, distributions or other monies payable or property distributable in respect of the shares held by such joint holders.

Any dividend or distribution out of retained earnings unclaimed for a period of six years from the date of declaration of such dividend or distribution shall be forfeited and shall revert to us and the payment by our board of directors of any unclaimed dividend, distribution, interest or other sum payable on or in respect of the share into a separate account shall not constitute us a trustee in respect thereof.

Voting Rights and Certain Voting Requirements

For voting rights and certain voting requirements under our Constitution, please refer to the sections entitled “Description of Share Capital—Equity Shares—Voting Rights” and “Description of Share Capital—Equity Shares—Certain Voting Requirements” in our Registration Statement on Form F-1, filed with the SEC on December 16, 2015, including any subsequent amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description, incorporated by reference herein.

Transfer of Equity Shares

Subject to the Mauritius Companies Act and to such restrictions contained in our Constitution as may be applicable, any shareholder may transfer all or any of his equity shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common or in a form prescribed by the Designated Stock Exchange (as defined in our Constitution) or in any other form which our board of directors may approve. No such instrument shall be required on the redemption of an equity share or on the purchase by us of an equity share.

Subject to the provisions of the Mauritius Companies Act, we must, on the written request of the transferor or transferee of a registered equity share in us, enter in our register of shareholders the name of the transferee of the equity share save that the registration of transfers may be suspended and the share register closed at such times and for such periods as we may from time to time by resolution of directors determine provided always that such registration shall not be suspended and the share register closed for more than thirty days in any period of twelve months.

If our board of directors declines to register a transfer it shall, within twenty eight (28) days after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to the transferee notice of such refusal.

Liquidation

Subject the laws of Mauritius and our Constitution, upon our Company’s winding up, the whole or any part of our assets shall be divided amongst the shareholders on a pro rata basis.

Redemption of Shares

Subject to the provisions of the Mauritius Companies Act and other applicable law, we may issue shares on terms that are subject to redemption, on the happening of a specified event or on a given date and/or at our option and/or at the option of the holders, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined by our board of directors.

 

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Variation of Rights of Shares

All or any of the special rights for the time being attached to any class of shares for the time being issued may from time to time (whether or not we are being wound up) be altered or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than 75% of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of such shares voting in person or by proxy. The necessary quorum shall be one or more persons together holding or representing by proxy not less than one-third in nominal value of the issued shares of the relevant class, that every holder of shares of the relevant class shall be entitled on a poll to one vote for every such share held by him and that any holder of shares of the relevant class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.

The special rights conferred upon the holders of any shares or class of shares shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided in the rights attaching to or the terms of issue of such shares, be deemed to be altered by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith.

Meetings of Shareholders

Subject to the Mauritius Companies Act, an annual shareholders’ meeting shall be convened by our board of directors not more than once in each year and not later than six months after our balance sheet date and not later than 15 months after the previous annual meeting. Special meetings of shareholders may be convened by our board of directors or on the written request of shareholders holding shares carrying together not less than 5% of the voting rights entitled to be exercised on the issue.

Subject to our Constitution, meeting of shareholders shall be called by not less than fourteen (14) nor more than sixty (60) business days’ notice in writing.

For a special meeting called on the written request of the shareholders, the shareholders must provide notice to our secretary which must be delivered to or mailed and received at our principal executive offices not less than ninety days nor more than one hundred twenty days prior to such special meeting.

A quorum for a meeting of shareholders shall be present where the shareholders or their proxies are present or have cast postal votes, who are between them able to exercise not less than 33.3% of the votes to be cast on the business to be transacted by the meeting.

A shareholder may exercise the right to vote either by being present in person or by proxy. A proxy for a shareholder may attend and be heard at a meeting of shareholders as if the proxy were the shareholder. A proxy shall be appointed by notice in writing signed by the shareholder, and the notice shall state whether the appointment is for a particular meeting or a specified term.

Inspection of Books and Records

Under the Mauritius Companies Act, we are required to keep available our certificate of incorporation, Constitution, share register, the full names and residential addresses of our directors, our registered office and address for service, copies of the instruments creating or evidencing charges which are required to be registered under section 127 of the Mauritius Companies Act, minutes of all meetings and resolutions of shareholders, copies of written communications to all shareholders or to all holders of a class of shares during the preceding seven years (including financial statements, and group financial statements), certificates given by directors under the Mauritius Companies Act and our interests register (if any) for inspection by any shareholder of ours or by a person authorized in writing by a shareholder for the purpose, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on each working day during the inspection period at the place at which our records are kept in Mauritius. A shareholder who wishes to inspect such records must serve written notice on us of his intention to inspect the records.

The term “inspection period” is defined in the Mauritius Companies Act to mean the period commencing on the third working day after the day on which notice of intention to inspect is served on us by the person.

Changes in Capital

Subject to the Mauritius Companies Act, we may, from time to time, by ordinary resolution:

 

  (a)

divide our shares into several classes and attach thereto respectively any preferential, deferred, qualified or special rights, privileges or conditions;

 

  (b)

consolidate and divide all or any of our share capital into shares of larger par value than our existing shares; and

 

  (c)

engage in a forward stock split.

Subject to the Mauritius Companies Act and our Constitution and any confirmation or consent required by law or under our Constitution, we may from time to time by special resolution authorize the reduction of our stated capital (including any amount in any share premium account) or change the currency denomination of our share capital as we think fit.

Purchase by Our Company of our Own Shares

We may, pursuant to a special resolution, purchase or acquire and hold our own shares as treasury shares upon such terms as our board of directors may, in our discretion, determine, provided always that such purchase or acquisition is effected in accordance with the provisions of the Mauritius Companies Act, which generally requires solvency of the company after giving effect to such purchase or acquisition.

 

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Interested Directors

Subject to the Mauritius Companies Act and our Constitution, a director shall, forthwith after becoming aware of the fact that he is interested in a transaction or a proposed transaction with us, cause to be entered in our interests register and disclose to our board of directors the nature and monetary value of that interest, or where the monetary value of the director’s interest cannot be quantified, the nature and extent of that interest. A general notice entered in the interests register or disclosed to our board of directors to the effect that a director is a shareholder, director, officer or trustee of another named company or other person and is to be regarded as interested in any transaction which may, after the date of the entry or disclosure, be entered into with that company or person, is a sufficient disclosure of interest in relation to that transaction.

To the extent that our company is a reporting issuer, as defined in section 86 of the Mauritius Securities Act 2005, the relevant disclosure requirements under the Mauritius Securities Act 2005 may also be applicable. We have applied to the Mauritius Financial Services Commission for an exemption from the disclosure requirements applying to reporting issuers under the Mauritius Securities Act 2005.

Notification of Shareholdings by Directors and Substantial Shareholders

Our Constitution provides that (a) each of our directors shall, upon his appointment to our board of directors, give an undertaking to our company that, for so long as he remains a director of our company, he shall forthwith notify our company secretary of the particulars of our equity shares beneficially owned by him at the time of his appointment and of any change in such particulars (including the circumstances of any such change), and (b) each member of our company shall, upon becoming a substantial shareholder of our company, give an undertaking to our company that, for so long as he remains as a substantial shareholder of our company, he shall notify our company secretary of the particulars of our equity shares in which he has an interest at the time of his becoming a substantial shareholder or of any change in such particulars (including the circumstances of any such change) within 48 hours of such time or change (as the case may be), provided that he shall only be required to give notice of a change in the percentage level of his interests in the shares where there is a change of 1% or more in the percentage level of his shareholding interest in the relevant class of shares in our company. For this purpose, a “substantial shareholder” means a person who holds by himself or his nominee a share or an interest in a share in the capital of our company which entitles him to exercise not less than 5% of the aggregate voting power exercisable at a meeting of our shareholders.

Category 1 Global Business Company

We are licensed by the Financial Services Commission as a Mauritius Category 1 Global Business Company, or GBC1.

Before the coming into force of the Mauritius Finance Act 2010, Mauritius companies holding a GBC1 were only allowed to conduct business outside Mauritius. However, with the implementation of the Mauritius Finance Act 2010, Mauritius companies holding a GBC1 may (i) carry on business in Mauritius, (ii) deal with persons resident in Mauritius, and (iii) hold shares or other interests in a corporation which is resident in Mauritius.

A Mauritius company holding a GBC1 may conduct any business activity to the extent that it is not unlawful or contrary to public interest and to the extent that it does not cause or is likely to cause serious prejudice to the good repute of Mauritius as a center for financial services.

A Mauritius company holding a GBC1 should be administered at all times by a Management Company and should be controlled and managed in Mauritius.

The following indicative list of criteria has to be complied with:

 

  (a)

The company must have at least 2 directors, resident in Mauritius, of sufficient caliber to exercise independence of mind and judgment.

 

  (b)

The company will maintain at all times its principal bank account in Mauritius.

 

  (c)

The company will keep and maintain at all times its accounting records at its registered office in Mauritius.

 

  (d)

The company will prepare its statutory financial statements and cause the same to be audited in Mauritius.

 

  (e)

The company will provide for meetings of directors to include at least 2 directors from Mauritius.

 

  (f)

whether a corporation meets at least one of the following criteria:

 

  (i)

the corporation has or shall have office premises in Mauritius;

 

  (ii)

the corporation employs or shall employ on a full time basis at administrative/technical level, at least one person who shall be resident in Mauritius;

 

  (iii)

the corporation’s constitution contains a clause whereby all disputes arising out of the constitution shall be resolved by way of arbitration in Mauritius;

 

  (iv)

the corporation holds or is expected to hold within the next 12 months, assets (excluding cash held in bank account or shares/interests in another corporation holding a Global Business License) which are worth at least US$100,000 in Mauritius;

 

  (v)

the corporation’s shares are listed on a securities exchange licensed by the Commission; or

 

  (vi)

it has or is expected to have a yearly expenditure in Mauritius which can be reasonably expected from any similar corporation which is controlled and managed from Mauritius.

 

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A Mauritius company holding a GBC1 is tax resident in Mauritius and can therefore benefit from the network of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements which Mauritius has in place with a number of countries.

Differences in Corporate Law

The Mauritius Companies Act differs from laws applicable to United States corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of the significant differences between the provisions of the Mauritius Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their shareholders.

Pursuant to the Mauritius Companies Act, subject to certain exceptions prescribed in the Mauritius Companies Act, a Mauritius company shall not enter into the following transactions unless the transaction is approved by special resolution or contingent on approval by special resolution of the shareholders of the company:

 

  (a)

the acquisition of, or an agreement to acquire, whether contingent or not, assets the value of which is more than 75% of the value of the company’s assets before the acquisition;

 

  (b)

the disposition of, or an agreement to dispose of, whether contingent or not, assets of the company the value of which is more than 75% of the value of the company’s assets before the disposition; or

 

  (c)

a transaction that has or is likely to have the effect of the company acquiring rights or interests or incurring obligations or liabilities the value of which is more than 75% of the value of the company’s assets before the transaction (provided that this will not apply by reason only of the company giving, or entering into an agreement to give, a charge secured over assets of the company, the value of which is more than 75% of the value of the company’s assets for the purpose of securing the repayment of money or the performance of an obligation).

Under the Mauritius Companies Act, a special resolution is a resolution that is approved by a majority of 75% of the votes of those shareholders entitled to vote and voting on the question.

Where a transaction involves the acquisition or disposition or the acquiring of rights, interests or incurring obligations of, in any case, more than half the value of the Mauritius company’s assets, subject to certain exceptions prescribed in the Mauritius Companies Act, the transaction has to be approved by ordinary resolution or contingent on approval by ordinary resolution, and a Mauritius company shall not enter into the following transactions unless the transaction is approved by ordinary resolution or contingent on approval by ordinary resolution of the shareholders of the company:

 

  (a)

the acquisition of, or an agreement to acquire, whether contingent or not, assets the value of which is more than 50% of the value of the company’s assets before the acquisition;

 

  (b)

the disposition of, or an agreement to dispose of, whether contingent or not, assets of the company the value of which is more than 50% of the value of the company’s assets before the disposition; or

 

  (c)

a transaction that has or is likely to have the effect of the company acquiring rights or interests or incurring obligations or liabilities the value of which is more than 50% of the value of the company’s assets before the transaction (provided that this will not apply by reason only of the company giving, or

entering into an agreement to give, a charge secured over assets of the company, the value of which is more than 50% of the value of the company’s assets for the purpose of securing the repayment of money or the performance of an obligation).

Under the Mauritius Companies Act, an ordinary resolution is a resolution that is approved by a simple majority of the votes of those shareholders entitled to vote and voting on the matter which is the subject of the resolution.

Under Delaware law, a corporation may sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all of its property and assets upon approval by the board and resolutions adopted by holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the corporation entitled to vote.

Mergers and Similar Arrangements

A merger of two or more constituent companies under Mauritius law requires an amalgamation proposal to be approved by the directors of each constituent company and by special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company.

A merger between a Mauritius parent company and its Mauritius subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require approval by a resolution of shareholders. For this purpose a “subsidiary” has the meaning assigned to it by the Mauritius Companies Act.

Save in certain circumstances, a dissentient shareholder of a Mauritius constituent company is entitled to payment of the fair and reasonable price for his shares upon dissenting to a merger or consolidation. The exercise of appraisal rights will normally preclude the exercise of any other rights save for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful.

 

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In addition, there are statutory provisions that facilitate the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies where the Supreme Court of Mauritius, on the application of the company or, with leave of the court, any shareholder or creditor of the company, may order that an arrangement or amalgamation or compromise shall be binding on the company and on such other persons or classes of persons as the court may specify and any such order may be made on such terms and conditions as the court thinks fit.

Under the Delaware General Corporations Law, a merger of two Delaware corporations requires approval by the board and, except in certain circumstances, shareholders of each corporation. A merger between a Delaware parent company and its Delaware subsidiary or subsidiaries does not generally require shareholder approval.

Shareholders’ Suits

In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff, but under the Mauritius Companies Act, the Mauritius courts may grant leave to a shareholder (including a minority shareholder) to bring a derivative action.

In Delaware, in any derivative suit instituted by a shareholder of a corporation, it shall be averred in the complaint that the plaintiff was a shareholder of the corporation at the time of the transaction of which he complains or that such shareholder’s stock thereafter devolved upon such shareholder by operation of law. The complaint shall set forth with particularity the efforts of the plaintiff to obtain the action by the board or the reasons for not making such effort. Such action shall not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Chancery Court. Moreover, if we were a Delaware corporation, a shareholder whose shares were canceled in connection with our dissolution, would not be able to bring a derivative action against us after the equity shares have been cancelled.

Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability

Under the Mauritius Companies Act, a company may indemnify a director or employee of the company or a related company for any costs incurred by him or the company in respect of any proceedings (a) that relates to liability for any act or omission in his capacity as a director or employee and (b) in which judgment is given in his favor, in which he is acquitted, which is discontinued, in which he is granted relief under section 350 of the Mauritius Companies Act or where proceedings are threatened and such threatened action is abandoned or not pursued. The Mauritius Companies Act further provides that a company may indemnify a director or employee of the company or a related company in respect of (a) liability to any person, other than the company or a related company, for any act or omission in his capacity as a director or employee or (b) costs incurred by that director or employee in defending or settling any claim or proceedings relating to any such liability, save in respect of any criminal liability or liability in respect of a breach (in the case of a director) of the duty to exercise his powers honestly in good faith in the best interests of the company. Our Constitution provides for indemnification, to the extent permitted by Mauritius law, of our directors and officers for costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred or sustained by them in the execution and discharge of their duties in their respective offices or in relation thereto, except in respect of their own fraud or dishonesty.

Under Delaware law, a corporation has the flexibility to indemnify a director, officer, employee or agent if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful.

Directors’ Fiduciary Duties

Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director act in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He or she must not use his or her corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However, this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by a director, a director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.

As a matter of Mauritius law, a director of a Mauritius company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and therefore it is considered that he owes duties to the company that include a duty to act bona fide in the best interests of the company, a duty not to make a profit based on his or her position as director (unless the company permits him to do so) and a duty not to put himself in a position where the interests of the company conflict with his or her personal interest or his or her duty to a third party. Under the Mauritius Companies Act, our directors have a duty to our company to exercise their powers honestly, in good faith and in the best interests of our company. Our directors also have a duty to our company to exercise the degree of care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. Where a director of a public company also holds office as an executive, the director is required under Mauritius law to exercise that degree of care, diligence and skill which a reasonably prudent and competent executive in that position would exercise. In fulfilling their duty of care to our company, our directors must ensure compliance with the Mauritius Companies Act and our Constitution, as amended from time to time.

Neither Mauritian law nor our Constitution requires the majority of our directors to be independent.

 

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Shareholder Action by Written Consent

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may eliminate the right of shareholders to act by written consent by amendment to its certificate of incorporation. Mauritius law provides that, save for the annual meeting of a company, shareholders may approve corporate matters by way of a unanimous written resolution signed by or on behalf of each shareholder who would have been entitled to vote on such matter at a general meeting without a meeting being held or by resolution in writing signed by not less than 75% or such other percentage as the constitution of the company may require for passing a special resolution, whichever is the greater, of the shareholders who would be entitled to vote on that resolution at a meeting of shareholders who together hold not less than 75% (or, if a higher percentage is required by the constitution, that higher percentage) of the votes entitled to be cast on that resolution.

Shareholder Meetings

Shareholders of a Delaware corporation generally do not have the right to call meetings of shareholders unless that right is granted in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws. However, if a corporation fails to hold its annual general meeting within a period of 30 days after the date designated for the annual meeting, or if no date has been designated for a period of 13 months after its last annual general meeting, the Delaware Court of Chancery may order a meeting to be held upon the application of a shareholder.

Mauritius law and our Constitution allow our shareholders to requisition a shareholders’ meeting. We are obliged by law to call a shareholders’ annual meeting once every year.

Cumulative Voting

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which increases the shareholder’s voting power with respect to electing such director. As permitted under Mauritius law, our Constitution does not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.

Removal of Directors

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our Constitution, directors may be removed by ordinary resolution of our shareholders.

Transactions with Interested Shareholders

The Delaware General Corporation Law contains business combination provision applicable to Delaware corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of incorporation, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that such person becomes an interested shareholder. Subject to specified exceptions, an interested shareholder is a person or a group that owns 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock (including any rights to acquire stock pursuant to an option, warrant, agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion or exchange rights, and stock with respect to which the person has voting rights only), or is an affiliate or associate of the corporation and was the owner of 15% of more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock at any time within the previous three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition transaction with the target’s board of directors.

There is no such statutory provision under Mauritius law restricting transactions between a company and its significant shareholders.

Dissolution; Winding Up

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve, dissolution must be approved by all shareholders entitled to vote thereon. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board.

Under Mauritius law, a company may be wound up by either an order of the courts of Mauritius or by a special resolution of its members or, if the company is unable to pay its debts, by a special resolution of its members with leave of the court. The court has authority to order winding up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so.

Under the Insolvency Act 2009 of Mauritius, our company may be dissolved, liquidated or wound up by special resolution of our shareholders.

 

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Variation of Rights of Shares

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under Mauritius law and our Constitution, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may vary the rights attached to any class only with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.

Amendment of Governing Documents

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s governing documents may be amended with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. As permitted by Mauritius law, our Constitution may only be amended by special resolution of our shareholders.

Rights of Non-Resident or Foreign Shareholders

There are no limitations imposed by our Constitution on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares.

Such limitations are not required under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

Issuance of Preferred Shares

Our Constitution allows for our company to issue preferred shares. Our Constitution provides that, except for issuances of more than 10% of the share capital of the Company in a single transaction, which must be approved by an ordinary resolution of shareholders for so long as International Finance Corporation (“IFC”) or IFC GIF Investment Company I hold any equity shares of the Company, the directors of our company may offer, issue, grant options over or otherwise dispose of shares of our company to such persons, at such times and for such consideration and upon such terms and conditions as the board of directors of our company may in its absolute discretion determine (save that no shares shall be issued below the par value of the share) and that any share in our company may be issued with or have attached thereto such rights or restrictions whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise as our company may determine or, if there has not been any such determination or so far as the same does not make specific provision, as the board of directors of our company may determine.

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may issue preferred shares without shareholder approval.

Compulsory Acquisition

The Financial Services Commission in Mauritius has recently issued the Securities (Takeover) Rules 2010, or the Rules, under the Financial Services Act 2007 of Mauritius and the Mauritius Securities Act which may apply to takeover offers where the offeree is a reporting issuer in Mauritius and to a corporation holding a global business license which is listed on a relevant securities exchange. The Rules include provisions, inter alia, for the making of a mandatory offer and compulsory acquisition of shares. The Rules came into operation on May 1, 2011.

Anti-takeover provisions

Mauritius law does not prevent Mauritius companies from adopting a wide range of defensive measures, such as staggered boards, issue of preferred shares, adoption of poison pill shareholder rights plans and provisions that restrict the rights of shareholders to call meetings. Our Constitution includes the following provisions which may be regarded as defensive measures: (i) a staggered board of directors, (ii) the ability to issue preferred shares, (iii) granting directors the absolute discretion to decline to register a transfer of any shares (other than a fully paid share), and (iv) requiring that amendments to our Constitution be approved by a special resolution of the shareholders of our company.

Delaware law also does not prevent Delaware corporations from adopting defensive measures such as staggered boards, issue of preferred shares, adoption of poison pill shareholder rights plans and requirements for advance notification of shareholder nominations and proposals. In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging, under certain circumstances, in a business combination with an interested shareholder for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested shareholder unless certain conditions are met. Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested shareholder. An interested shareholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested shareholder status, did own 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting stock.

Registration Rights

On July 14, 2016 we entered into a registration rights agreement by and among Azure Power Global Limited, IFC, IFC GIF Investment Company I, Société de Promotion et de Participation pour La Coopération Économique, FC VI India Venture (Mauritius) Ltd., Helion Venture Partners II, LLC, Helion Venture Partners India II, LLC and DEG-Deutsche Institutions (collectively referred to as the “Holders”), pursuant to which we granted certain registration rights to certain holders of our Registrable Securities, as described below.

Subject to the terms of the registration rights agreement, at any time or from time to time, one or more of the Holders may request that we effect a registration under the Securities Act of all or any part of the Registrable Securities (as defined in the registration rights agreement) owned by the Holders (each such registration is referred to as a “Demand Registration”), provided that the Registrable Securities to be so registered (i) have an aggregate value of at least US$25 million, based on the closing trading price of the equity shares on the date demand to file such Demand Registration Statement is made, or (ii) include all Registrable Securities of the Holder or Holders requesting the Demand Registration which remain outstanding at such time.

At any time after we become eligible to file a shelf registration statement under the Securities Act, the registration statement to be filed by us pursuant to any Demand Registration may be required by the Holder requesting such Demand Registration to be in the form of a shelf registration statement (or any similar or successor form for which we then qualify).

Each Holder is entitled to not more than four Demand Registrations pursuant to the registration rights agreement. All Holders are entitled to no more than one Demand Registration pursuant to the registration rights agreement per six-month period.

Whenever we propose to file a registration statement including, but not limited to, registration statements relating to our secondary offerings of Securities (but excluding registration statements relating to the paragraphs above and relating to employee benefit plans or with respect to corporate reorganizations) at any time and from time to time, we will, at least 20 days prior to such filing, give written notice to all Holders of our intention to do so and, upon the written request of any Holder(s) given within 10 days after we provide such notice, we will use our reasonable efforts to cause all Registrable Securities that we have been requested by such Holder(s) to register or to be registered under the Securities Act to the extent necessary to permit their sale or other disposition in accordance with the intended methods of distribution specified in the request of such Holder(s), provided that we shall have the right to postpone or withdraw any such registration effected without obligation to any Holder.

On September 30, 2016, we entered into a registration rights agreement with CDPQ Infrastructures Asia Pte Ltd. (“CDPQ”) on substantially the same terms as described above, except CDPQ is not entitled to more than three Demand Registrations pursuant to the registration rights agreement.

Transfer Agent

The registrar and transfer agent for our equity shares is Computershare Inc.

 

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EXPENSES

The following table sets forth the aggregate expenses in connection with this offering, all of which will be paid by us (other than the expenses in connection with the sale of equity shares by the Selling Shareholders, which expenses will be paid by the Selling Shareholders, unless stated otherwise in a Prospectus Supplement). All amounts shown are estimates, except for the SEC registration fee.

 

SEC registration fee

   $ 41,422.00 **

FINRA fees

   $      

Legal fees and expenses

   $      

Accounting fees and expenses

   $      

NYSE Supplemental Listing Fee

   $      

Miscellaneous

   $      
  

 

 

 

Total

   $      
  

 

 

 

 

*

To be provided by a prospectus supplement or as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 6-K that is incorporated by reference into this registration statement.

**

Includes SEC registration fee of $35,197.00 paid previously in connection with the Prior Registration Statement (File No. 333-222171) that became effective on December 29, 2017 and SEC registration fee of $6,225.00 paid with this registration statement.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Except as otherwise set forth in the applicable Prospectus Supplement, certain legal matters in connection with the securities offered pursuant to this Prospectus will be passed upon for us by Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, our special United States counsel, to the extent governed by the laws of the State of New York, and by Appleby, our special legal counsel as to Mauritius law, to the extent governed by the law of the Republic of Mauritius. Legal matters as to Indian law will be passed upon for us by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. If legal matters in connection with offerings made pursuant to this Prospectus are passed upon by counsel to underwriters, dealers or agents, such counsel will be named in the applicable Prospectus Supplement relating to any such offering.

 

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EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Azure Power Global Limited included in Azure Power Global Limited’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2018 have been audited by Ernst & Young Associates LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are, and audited financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the report of Ernst & Young Associates LLP pertaining to such financial statements to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT US

We are subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act, and in accordance therewith files reports and other information with the SEC. Such reports and other information are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Prospective investors may read and copy any document we have filed with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. and may also obtain copies of those documents from the public reference room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 by paying a fee. Additionally, prospective investors may read and download some of the documents we have filed with the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval system at www.sec.gov. Reports and other information about the Corporation may also be inspected at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005. Our filings are also available on our website at http://www.azurepower.com.

We will furnish holders of our equity shares with annual reports containing audited financial statements and a report by our independent registered public accounting firm. The audited financial statements will be prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from a number of rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and compliance with the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act applicable to executive officers, directors and principal shareholders.

We have filed with the SEC under the Securities Act, a registration statement on Form F-3 relating to the Securities and of which this Prospectus forms a part. This Prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in such registration statement, certain items of which are contained in the exhibits to the registration statement as permitted or required by the rules and regulations of the SEC. Statements made in this Prospectus as to the contents of any contract, agreement or other document referred to are not necessarily complete, and in each instance, for a complete description of the applicable contract, agreement or other document, reference is made to the exhibits available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information that we file with it. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those filed documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this Prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC prior to the termination of this offering will also be considered to be part of this Prospectus and will automatically update and supersede previously filed information, including information contained in this document.

We hereby incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings made with the Commission under Section 13(a), 13(c) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

   

Our Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on August 8, 2018;

 

   

Our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on June 15, 2018, containing our audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent fiscal year for which those statements have been filed;

 

   

The description of our equity shares contained in our Registration Statement on Form F-1, filed with the SEC on December 16, 2015, including any subsequent amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description; and

 

   

The description of our equity shares contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-37909), filed with the SEC on October 7, 2016, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

We are also incorporating by reference all subsequent Annual Reports on Form 20-F that we file with the SEC and certain reports on Form 6-K that we furnish to the SEC after the date of this Prospectus (if they state that they are incorporated by reference into this Prospectus) until we file a post-effective amendment indicating that the offering of the Securities made by this Prospectus has been terminated. In all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information included in this Prospectus or the applicable Prospectus Supplement.

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this Prospectus and any accompanying Prospectus Supplement. We have not, and any underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these Securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this Prospectus and any accompanying Prospectus Supplement as well as the information we previously filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference, is accurate as of the dates on the front cover of those documents only. Our business, financial condition and results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

You may request a free copy of the above-mentioned filing or any subsequent filing we incorporated by reference to this Prospectus by writing or telephoning us at [email protected] or Azure Power, 3rd Floor, Asset 301-304 and 307, WorldMark 3, Aerocity, New Delhi – 110037, or 0091 11 4940 9800.

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS

Item 8. Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Under the Mauritius Companies Act, a company may indemnify a director or employee of the company or a related company for any costs incurred by him or the company in respect of any proceedings (a) that relates to liability for any act or omission in his capacity as a director or employee and (b) in which judgment is given in his favor, in which he is acquitted, which is discontinued, in which he is granted relief under section 350 of the Mauritius Companies Act or where proceedings are threatened and such threatened action is abandoned or not pursued. The Mauritius Companies Act further provides that a company may indemnify a director or employee of the company or a related company in respect of (a) liability to any person, other than the company or a related company, for any act or omission in his capacity as a director or employee or (b) costs incurred by that director or employee in defending or settling any claim or proceedings relating to any such liability, save in respect of any criminal liability or liability in respect of a breach (in the case of a director) of the duty to exercise his powers honestly in good faith in the best interests of the company.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Pursuant to the form of indemnification agreement filed as Exhibit 10.18 to the Registrant’s F-1 registration statement, the Registrant may agree to indemnify its directors and officers against certain liabilities and expenses arising from their being a director or officer.

Item 9. Exhibits

A list of exhibits included as part of this registration statement is set forth in the Exhibit Index which immediately precedes such exhibits and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 10. Undertakings

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) to include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of Securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this Item 9 do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the Securities offered therein, and the offering of such Securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the Securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) To file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement to include any financial statements required by Item 8.A. of Form 20-F at the start of any delayed offering or throughout a continuous offering. Financial statements and information otherwise required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act need not be furnished, provided, that the registrant includes in the prospectus, by means of a post-effective amendment, financial statements required pursuant to this paragraph (4) and other information necessary to ensure that all other information in the prospectus is at least as current as the date of those financial statements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a post-effective amendment need not be filed to include financial statements and information required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act or Rule 3-19 of Regulation S-K if such financial statements and information are contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

 

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(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(6) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act, in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

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AZURE POWER GLOBAL LIMITED

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

   No.   

  

Description

  1.1^    Form of Underwriting Agreement
  4.1    Form of Indenture (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of our Registration Statement on Form  F-3 (File No. 333-222171) filed with the Commission on December 20, 2017)
  4.2^    Form of Debt Security
  4.3^    Form of Warrant
  4.4^    Form of Warrant Agreement
  4.5    Form of Equity Share Certificate of Azure Power Global Limited (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333 208584) filed with the Commission on December 16, 2015)
  5.1*    Opinion of Appleby
  5.2*    Opinion of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP regarding the validity of the securities
10.1    Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement, dated March  28, 2017, by and among Azure Power Global Limited, AZI, Inderpreet Singh Wadhwa and Harkanwal Singh Wadhwa (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.26 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-37909) filed with the Commission on June 19, 2017)
12.1*    Statement regarding the computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges
23.1*    Consent of Ernst & Young Associates LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
23.2*    Consent of Appleby (included in opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1)
23.3*    Consent of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (included in opinion filed as Exhibit 5.2)
23.4*    Consent of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
24.1*    Power of Attorney (included on signature page)
25.1^    Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the Trustee under the Indenture

 

*

Filed herewith.

^

To be filed as an exhibit to a post-effective amendment to this registration statement or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Exchange Act and incorporated herein by reference.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form F-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in New Delhi, India, on August 31, 2018.

 

Azure Power Global Limited
By:   /s/ Inderpreet Singh Wadhwa
Name:   Inderpreet Singh Wadhwa
Title:   Principal Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned directors of Azure Power Global Limited and executive officers of Azure Power Global Limited and its subsidiaries hereby severally constitute and appoint Inderpreet Singh Wadhwa and Sushil Bhagat, and each of them singly (with full power to each of them to act alone), our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution in each of them for him and in his name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement (or any other registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as full to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them or their or his substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities held on August 31, 2018.

 

Signature

     

Title

/s/ Inderpreet Singh Wadhwa

Inderpreet Singh Wadhwa

    Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Sushil Bhagat

Sushil Bhagat

    Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

/s/ Harkanwal Singh Wadhwa

Harkanwal Singh Wadhwa

    Director

/s/ Robert Douglas Kelly

Robert Kelly

    Director

/s/ Eric Ng Yim On

Eric Ng Yim On

    Director

/s/ Muhammad Khalid Peyrye

Muhammad Khalid Peyrye

    Director

/s/ Rajendra Prasad Singh

Rajendra Prasad Singh

    Director

 

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SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REGISTRANT IN THE UNITED STATES

Under the Securities Act, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Azure Power Global Limited has signed this registration statement in California, United States of America, on August 31, 2018.

 

Authorized U.S. Representative
By:   /s/ Robert Douglas Kelly
Name:   Robert Douglas Kelly
Title:   Director

 

31

 

 

 

LOGO

Exhibit 5.1

 

Azure Power Global Limited

 

1st Floor, The Exchange

18 Cybercity

Ebene

Mauritius

 

Email [email protected]

[email protected]

 

Direct Dial +230 203 4301

 

Tel +230 203 4300

Fax +230 210 8792

 

Your Ref

 

Appleby Ref 429640.0010

 

31 August 2018

Dear Sirs

INTRODUCTION

This opinion as to Mauritius law is addressed to you in connection with the filing by Azure Power Global Limited, a public company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of Mauritius (the “Company”), of the Company’s registration statement on Form F-3 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) in connection with the shelf registration under the Securities Act (the “Registration Statement”) and the prospectus (the “Prospectus”) contained therein for:

 

  (a)

the offer or sale, from time to time, in one or more offerings, up to an aggregate amount of US$200,000,000 of any combination of (i) equity shares, par value US$0.000625 per share (the “Equity Shares”), (ii) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”) to be issued under indentures to be entered into by the Company and the trustee for such Debt Securities (the “Indentures”) or (iii) warrants to subscribe for Equity Shares or Debt Securities in the Company (the “Warrants”) (collectively, the “Primary Offering Securities”); and

 

  (b)

the sale, from time to time, of up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 equity shares, by the Selling Shareholders (as defined in the Registration Statement) of the Company (the “Secondary Offering Securities”, and together with the Primary Offering Securities, the “Securities”).

OUR REVIEW

For the purposes of giving this opinion we have examined and relied upon the documents listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (the “Documents”).

For the purposes of giving this opinion we also have carried out the Company Search described in Part 2 of Schedule 1.

 

 

LOGO


 

We have not made any other enquiries concerning the Company and in particular we have not investigated or verified any matter of fact or opinion (whether set out in any of the Documents or elsewhere) other than as expressly stated in this opinion.

Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalised terms have the meanings assigned to them in Schedule 1.

LIMITATIONS

Our opinion is limited to, and should be construed in accordance with, the laws of Mauritius at the date of this opinion. We express no opinion on the laws of any other jurisdiction.

This opinion is strictly limited to the matters stated in it and does not extend to, and is not to be extended by implication, to any other matters. We express no opinion on the commercial implications of the Documents or whether they give effect to the commercial intentions of the parties.

This opinion is issued solely for the purposes of filing of the Registration Statement and the offering of the Securities and is not to be relied upon in respect of any other matter.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus and elsewhere in the Registration Statement.

ASSUMPTIONS AND RESERVATIONS

We give the following opinions on the basis of the assumptions set out in Schedule 2 (Assumptions), and subject to the reservations set out in Schedule 3 (Reservations).

OPINIONS

 

1.

The Company is a Global Business Licence company incorporated with limited liability and validly existing under the laws of Mauritius and is a separate legal entity. The Company is in good standing as evidenced by the Certificate of Current Standing issued by the Registrar of Companies.

 

2.

The Company is a holder of a Category 1 Global Business Licence issued by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius.

 

3.

The sale and transfer of each of the Secondary Offering Securities by the Selling Shareholders pursuant to the Registration Statement have been duly authorised, and upon such sale or transfer each of the Secondary Offering Securities will be legally issued and allotted, and are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

2

 

LOGO

 

 


 

 

4.

With respect to the Equity Shares, when (i) all necessary corporate actions shall have been taken to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) the issue of such Equity Shares has been recorded in the Company’s records; and (iii) the subscription price of such Equity Shares (being not less than the par value of the Equity Shares) has been fully paid in cash or other consideration approved in accordance with law, the Equity Shares will be duly authorised, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

5.

With respect to each issue of the Debt Securities, when (i) all necessary corporate actions shall have been taken to approve the creation and terms of the Debt Securities and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) an Indenture relating to the Debt Securities and the Debt Securities shall have been authorised and duly executed and unconditionally delivered by and on behalf of the Company and all the relevant parties thereunder in accordance with all relevant laws; and (iii) when such Debt Securities issued thereunder have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and authenticated in the manner set forth in the Indenture relating to such issue of Debt Securities and delivered against due payment therefor pursuant to, and in accordance with, the terms of the Registration Statement and any relevant prospectus supplement, such Debt Securities issued pursuant to the Indenture will have been duly executed, issued and delivered.

 

6.

With respect to each issue of Warrants, when (i) all necessary corporate actions shall have been taken to approve the creation and terms of the Warrants and to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (ii) the relevant documents relating to the Warrants shall have been duly authorised and validly executed and delivered by the Company and all relevant parties thereunder; and (iii) the certificates (if required) representing the Warrants have been duly executed, countersigned, registered and delivered upon payment of the consideration therefor provided therein, the Warrants will be duly authorised, legal and binding obligations of the Company.

Yours faithfully

Appleby

 

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SCHEDULE 1

Part 1

The Documents

 

1.

A copy the Registration Statement, including the Prospectus included therein.

 

2.

A copy of the certificate of incorporation of the Company dated 02 February 2015.

 

3.

A copy of the constitution of the Company dated 17 October 2016.

 

    

Items 1 -3 collectively referred to as the Constitutional Documents.

 

4.

A copy of the Global Business Licence bearing the name of the Company dated 02 February 2015 and a confirmation from the company secretary of the Company that the Company has paid its annual fees for the renewal of the Global Business Licence for the period 07/2018 to 06/2019.

 

5.

A copy of the Certificate of Current Standing issued by the Registrar of Companies in respect of the Company.

 

6.

A copy of the written resolutions of the board of directors dated 19 December 2017 and a copy of the extract of the minutes of meeting held on 6 August 2018 (the Resolutions).

 

7.

A copy of the Register of Directors.

 

8.

A copy of the Certificate of Incumbency dated 24 August 2018 issued by the company secretary of the Company in respect of the Company.

 

9.

A copy of the certificates issued by a director of the Company dated 19 December 2017 and 31 August 2018 respectively (the Director Certificates).

 

10.

A copy of the results of the Company Search.

 

 

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Part 2

Searches

 

1.

A search of the entries and filings shown in respect of the Company on the file of the Company maintained in the Register of Companies at the office of the Registrar of Companies in Port Louis, Mauritius as revealed by a search conducted on 30 August 2018 (Company Search).

 

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SCHEDULE 2

Assumptions

We have assumed:

 

1.

that:

 

  (i)

the original documents of all documents examined in connection with this opinion are authentic and complete;

 

  (ii)

the authenticity, completeness and conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies; and

 

  (iii)

that each of the documents received by electronic means is complete, intact and in conformity with the transmission as sent;

 

2.

that there has been no change to the information contained in the Constitutional Documents;

 

3.

that the signatures and seals on all documents and certificates submitted to us as originals or copies of executed originals are genuine and authentic, and the signatures on all documents executed by the Company are the signatures of the persons authorised to execute the documents by the Company;

 

4.

that where incomplete documents, drafts or signature pages only have been supplied to us for the purposes of issuing this opinion, that the original documents have been completed and correspond in all material respects with the last version of the relevant documents examined by us prior to giving our opinion;

 

5.

that the Documents do not differ in any material respects from any drafts of the same which we have examined and upon which this opinion is based;

 

6.

the due execution and delivery of the Documents by each of the parties thereto (other than the Company under Mauritius law);

 

7.

that, insofar as any obligation under the Documents is to be performed in any jurisdiction outside of Mauritius, its performance will be legal and effective in accordance with the law of any jurisdiction to which they are subject or in which they are respectively constituted and established;

 

8.

the truth, accuracy and completeness of all representations and warranties or statements of fact or law (other than as to the laws of Mauritius and those matters upon which we have expressly opined) made in the Documents and any correspondence submitted to us;

 

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9.

the accuracy, completeness and currency of the records and filing systems maintained at the public offices where we have searched or enquired or have caused searches or enquiries to be conducted, that such search and enquiry did not fail to disclose any information which had been filed with or delivered to the relevant body but had not been processed at the time when the search was conducted and the enquiries were made, and that the information disclosed by the Company Search is accurate and complete in all respect and such information has not been materially altered since the date and time thereof;

 

10.

that

 

  (i)

the Documents are in the form of the documents approved in the Resolutions,

 

  (ii)

any meetings at which Resolutions were passed were duly convened and had a constituted quorum present and voting throughout and any unanimous resolutions passed in writing were adopted in accordance with the law and the Constitutional Documents,

 

  (iii)

all interests of the directors on the subject matter of the Resolutions, if any, were declared and disclosed in accordance with the law and Constitutional Documents,

 

  (iv)

the Resolutions and any Power of Attorney have not been revoked, amended or superseded, in whole or in part, and remain in full force and effect at the date of this opinion; and

 

  (v)

the Directors of the Company have concluded that the entry by the Company into the Documents and such other documents approved by the Resolutions and the transactions contemplated thereby are bone fide in the best interests of the Company.

 

11.

that the Certificate of Incumbency accurately reflects the names of all Directors and Officers of the Company as at the date the Resolutions were passed or adopted, the date the Documents were executed and as at the date hereof;

 

12.

that there is no matter affecting the authority of the Directors to effect entry by the Company into the Documents including breach of duty, lack of good faith, not disclosed by the Constitutional Documents or the Resolutions, which would have any adverse implications in relation to the opinions expressed in this opinion;

 

13.

that the Company has entered into its obligations under the Documents in good faith for the purpose of carrying on its business and that, at the time it did so, there were reasonable grounds for believing that the transactions contemplated by the Documents would benefit the Company;

 

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14.

that no resolution to voluntarily wind up the Company has been adopted by the members and no event of a type which is specified in the Constitutional Documents as giving rise to the winding up of the Company (if any) has in fact occurred;

 

15.

that there are no matters of fact or law (excluding matters of Mauritius law) affecting the enforceability of the Documents that have arisen since the execution of the Documents which would affect the opinions expressed herein; and

 

16.

that there are no changes in the Documents as at the date of the opinion.

 

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SCHEDULE 3

Reservations

Our opinion is subject to the following:

 

1.

Enforcement: there is a way of ensuring that each party performs an agreement or that there are remedies available for breach. Notwithstanding that the obligations established by the Documents are obligations which courts of Mauritius would generally enforce, they may not necessarily be capable of enforcement in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular, but without limitation:

 

  (i)

enforcement and priority may be limited by laws relating to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganisation, liquidation, court schemes, schemes of arrangements, moratoriums or other laws of general application relating to, or affecting the rights of, creditors generally;

 

  (ii)

enforcement may be limited by the principles of unjust enrichment or by general principles of equity (for example equitable remedies such as the grant of an injunction or an order for specific performance may not be available where liquidated damages are considered an adequate remedy);

 

  (iii)

claims may become barred by prescription or may be or become subject to defences of set-off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences;

 

  (iv)

obligations to be performed outside Mauritius may not be enforceable in Mauritius to the extent that performance would be illegal or contrary to public policy under the laws of that foreign jurisdiction;

 

  (v)

enforcement may be limited to the extent that matters which we have expressly assumed in this opinion will be done, have not been done;

 

  (vi)

the enforcement of the obligations of the parties to the Documents may be limited by the law applicable to obligations held to have been frustrated by events happening after their execution;

 

  (vii)

enforcement of obligations may be invalidated by reason of fraud, duress, misrepresentation or undue influence;

 

  (viii)

where the performance of payment obligations is contrary to the exchange control regulations of any country in whose currency such amounts are payable, such obligations may not be enforceable in Mauritius;

 

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  (ix)

any agreement that the Company will not exercise the powers reserved for exercise by the shareholders of the Company may constitute an unlawful fetter on those reserved powers;

 

  (x)

matters of procedure on enforcement of the Documents and forum conveniens will be governed by and determined in accordance with the lex fori.

 

2.

Waiver of provisions of law: We express no opinion as the enforceability of any present or future waiver of any provision of law (whether substantive or procedural) or of any right or remedy which might otherwise be available presently or in the future under the Documents.

 

3.

Penalties: Any provision as to the payment of additional money consequent on the breach of any provision of a Document by any person expressed to be a party to it, whether expressed by way of penalty, additional or default interest, liquidated damages or otherwise, may be unenforceable if it could be established that such additional payment constitutes a penalty rather than a compensatory amount.

 

4.

Severability: Severability provisions contained in the Documents may not be binding and the question of whether or not provisions may be severed would be determined by the Mauritius courts at their discretion, having regard to such matters as whether a particular severance would accord with public policy or involve the courts in making a new contract for the parties.

 

5.

Determination: Notwithstanding the provisions of the Documents, a determination, designation, calculation or certificate of any party to the Documents, as to any matter provided for in such Documents might, in certain circumstances, be held in the Mauritius courts not to be final, conclusive or binding (for example, if it could be shown to have been fraudulent or erroneous on its face, manifestly inaccurate, made on an unreasonable or arbitrary basis or not to have been reached in good faith) and the Documents will not necessarily escape judicial enquiry into the merit of any claim by any party in that respect.

 

6.

Discretion: Where a party to the Documents is vested with a discretion or may determine a matter in its opinion or is given the right to determine a conclusive calculation or determination, the Mauritius courts, if called upon to consider the question, may require that such discretion be exercised reasonably or that such opinion be based upon reasonable grounds or may determine that such right is not finally binding.

 

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7.

Modification of documents: We express no view on any provision in any of the Documents requiring written amendments and waivers of any of the provisions of such Documents insofar as it suggests that oral or other modification, amendments or waivers could not be effectively agreed upon or granted by or between the parties or implied by the course of conduct of the parties.

 

8.

Limitations on liability: The effectiveness of any terms releasing or limiting a party from a liability or duty owed is limited by law.

 

9.

Jurisdiction: Where a Document provides for the submission to the exclusive or non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Mauritius courts, the court may decline to accept jurisdiction in any matter where:

 

  (i)

it determines that some other jurisdiction is a more appropriate or convenient forum;

 

  (ii)

another court of competent jurisdiction has made a determination in respect of the same matter; or

 

  (iii)

litigation is pending in respect of the same matter in another jurisdiction.

 

10.

Concurrent proceedings: Proceedings may be stayed in Mauritius if concurrent proceedings in respect of the same matter are or have been commenced in another jurisdiction. Notwithstanding any provision in the Documents that all disputes arising under or in connection with the Documents should be brought before the competent court in the jurisdiction specified in the Documents, the Mauritius courts have discretion to refuse to stay proceedings in Mauritius if it is satisfied that it is just and equitable to do so and may grant leave to serve Mauritius proceedings outside of Mauritius.

 

11.

Foreign law: Relevant foreign law will not be applied by the Mauritius courts if it is not pleaded and proved, is not a bona fide and lawful choice of law, or it would be contrary to public policy for that law to be applied.

 

12.

Costs: A Mauritius court may refuse to give effect to any provisions of a Document in respect of costs of litigation brought before the Mauritius court.

 

13.

Preferences: A transaction by a debtor, including the grant of a charge over any property or undertaking of the debtor, may be set aside by the Supreme Court of Mauritius on the application of the Official Receiver or a liquidator where it is a voidable preference and was made within 2 years immediately before adjudication or commencement of the winding up. A charge may not be set aside where it secures money actually advanced or paid, or the actual price or value of property sold or supplied, or any other valuable consideration given in good faith, by the charge holder to the debtor at the time when, or at any time after, the charge was given. A

 

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  charge or security may not be set aside where it is a substitute for an existing charge that was given by the debtor more than 2 years before the date of adjudication or the commencement of the winding up, except to the extent that (a) the amount secured by the substituted charge is greater than the amount that was secured by the existing charge; or (b) the value of the property subject to the substituted charge at the date of substitution was greater than the value of the property subject to the existing charge at that date.

 

14.

Presumption of insolvency: A transaction by a debtor, including the grant of a charge over any property or undertaking of the debtor, that is made within 6 months immediately before the debtor’s adjudication or the commencement of the winding up is presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be made at a time when the debtor is unable to pay his due debts.

 

15.

Good standing: the Company has received a Certificate of Current Standing issued by the Registrar of Companies.

 

16.

Corporate Authorisation and payment of consideration: All corporate authorisations and approvals in accordance with the constitution of the Company and applicable law should be obtained in connection with the issue or sale of the Primary Offering Securities. All necessary documents or agreements to give effect to the issue, sale or transfer of the Securities should be duly executed and payment of consideration in accordance with the Registration Statement and any supplements or other documents related to such issue, sale or transfer should be effected.

 

17.

Major transactions: Where the board of directors deems a transaction a major transaction within the meaning of section 130 of the Companies Act, shareholder approval by way of special resolution is required. Section 130 of the Companies Act defines a major transaction as

 

  (a)

the acquisition of, or an agreement to acquire, whether contingent or not, assets the value of which is more than 75 per cent of the value of the company’s assets before the acquisition;

 

  (b)

the disposition of, or an agreement to dispose of, whether contingent or not, assets of the company the value of which is more than 75 per cent of the value of the company’s assets before the disposition; or

 

  (c)

a transaction that has or is likely to have the effect of the company acquiring rights or interests or incurring obligations or liabilities the value of which is more than 75 per cent of the value of the company’s assets before the transaction.

 

18.

Director Certificates: With respect to this opinion, we have relied upon the statements and representations made to us in the Directors Certificates provided to

 

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  us and issued by a Director of the Company for the purposes of this opinion. We have made no independent verification of the matters referred to in the Director Certificates, and we qualify our opinion to the extent that the statements or representations made in the Director Certificates are not accurate in any respect.

 

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Exhibit 5.2

CLEARY GOTTLIEB STEEN & HAMILTON LLP

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.

 

PARIS

 

BRUSSELS

 

LONDON

 

FRANKFURT

 

COLOGNE

 

MOSCOW

 

One Liberty Plaza

New York, NY 10006-1470

T: +1 212 225 2000

F: +1 212 225 3999

 

clearygottlieb.com

 

D: +852 2532 3783

[email protected]

 

ROME

 

MILAN

 

HONG KONG

 

BEIJING

 

BUENOS AIRES

 

SÃO PAULO

 

ABU DHABI

 

SEOUL

August 31, 2018

Azure Power Global Limited

3rd Floor, Asset 301-304 and 307

Worldmark 3, Aerocity

New Delhi 110037, India

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special United States counsel to Azure Power Global Limited, a Mauritius corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of a registration statement on Form F-3 (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the offering from time to time, as set forth in the Registration Statement, the prospectus (the “Prospectus”) contained therein and one or more supplements to the Prospectus, of (i) equity shares, par value US$0.000625 per share, of the Company (the “Equity Shares”), (ii) debt securities of the Company (the “Debt Securities”), (iii) warrants of the Company to purchase the Equity Shares or the Debt Securities (the “Warrants”) and (iv) up to 10,000,000 Equity Shares (the “Selling Shareholder Equity Shares”) by the selling shareholders as defined therein (the “Selling Shareholders”). The Equity Shares, the Debt Securities, the Warrants and the Selling Shareholder Equity Shares are hereinafter referred to, collectively, as the “Securities.”

The Securities will be offered on an immediate, continuous or delayed basis pursuant to the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act.

The Debt Securities are to be issued in one or more series under an indenture (the “Base Indenture”) to be entered into between the Company and the trustee to be named therein (the “Trustee”), the form of which is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, as such indenture may be amended or supplemented from time to time (the Base Indenture, as so amended or supplemented, the “Indenture”).

 

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP or an affiliated entity has an office in each of the cities listed above.


In arriving at the opinion expressed below, we have reviewed the following documents:

 

  (a)

the Registration Statement and the documents incorporated by reference therein;

 

  (b)

the Prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein; and

 

  (c)

the form of the Base Indenture.

In addition, we have reviewed the originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction of all such other documents, and we have made such investigations of law as we have deemed appropriate as a basis for the opinion expressed below.

In rendering the opinion expressed below, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. In addition, we have assumed and have not verified the accuracy as to factual matters of each document we have reviewed.

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the further assumptions and qualifications set forth below, it is our opinion that when the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, when the issuance, execution and delivery by the Company of the Debt Securities of a series have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture, and when such Debt Securities have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee and sold as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any supplement or supplements to the Prospectus relating to such Debt Securities, such Debt Securities will constitute valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

Insofar as the foregoing opinion relates to the validity, binding effect or enforceability of any agreement or obligation of the Company, (a) we have assumed that the Company and each other party to such agreement or obligation has satisfied, or prior to the issuance of the Debt Securities, will satisfy, those legal requirements that are applicable to it to the extent necessary to make such agreement or obligation enforceable against it (except that no such assumption is made as to the Company regarding matters of the federal law of the United States of America or the law of the State of New York that in our experience normally would be applicable to general business entities with respect to such agreement or obligation), (b) we have assumed that any Debt Securities denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar will comply in all respects with the applicable law of the country in whose currency such Debt Securities are denominated in respect of the use of or payment in such currency, (c) we have assumed that at the time of the issuance, sale and delivery of each Debt Security, the authorization thereof by the Company will not have been modified or rescinded and there will not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity, binding effect and enforceability of such Debt Security, (d) such opinion is subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general principles of equity and (e) such opinion is subject to the effect of judicial application of foreign laws or foreign governmental actions affecting creditors’ rights.

 

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In rendering the opinion expressed above, we have further assumed that (i) the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) will be or have been prepared and filed with the Commission describing the Debt Securities offered thereby and will comply with all applicable laws, (ii) the Registration Statement will be effective and will comply with all applicable laws at the time the Debt Securities are offered or issued as contemplated by the Registration Statement, (iii) the terms of the Debt Securities will conform to the forms thereof that will be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement, and the terms of the Indenture will not violate any applicable law, result in a default under or breach of any agreement or instrument binding upon the Company, or violate any requirement or restriction imposed by any court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, (iv) the Debt Securities will be sold and delivered to, and paid for by, the purchasers at the price specified in, and in accordance with the terms of, an agreement or agreements duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto, (v) the Company will authorize the offering and issuance of the Debt Securities and will authorize, approve and establish the final terms and conditions thereof and will take any other appropriate additional corporate action and (vi) certificates, if required, representing the Debt Securities will be duly executed and delivered and, to the extent required by the Indenture, duly authenticated and countersigned.

In addition, in rendering the opinion above, we have assumed that with respect to any Debt Security that includes any alternative or additional terms that are not specified in the forms thereof examined by us, such inclusion would not cause such Debt Security not to be valid, binding or enforceable.

In rendering the opinion expressed above, we have assumed that each series of Debt Securities will be issued with an original aggregate principal amount (or in the case of Debt Securities issued at original issue discount, an aggregate issue price) of US$2,500,000 or more.

We note that by statute New York provides that a judgment or decree rendered in a currency other than the currency of the United States shall be converted into U.S. dollars at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of entry of the judgment or decree. There is no corresponding Federal statute and no controlling Federal court decision on this issue. Accordingly, we express no opinion as to whether a Federal court would award a judgment in a currency other than U.S. dollars or, if it did so, whether it would order conversion of the judgment into U.S. dollars.

We express no opinion as to the enforceability of Section 10.16 of the Base Indenture relating to currency indemnity.

The foregoing opinion is limited to the federal law of the United States of America and the law of the State of New York.

 

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We hereby consent to the use of our name in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters” and in any prospectus supplement related thereto, and to the use of this opinion as a part (Exhibit 5.2) of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,
CLEARY GOTTLIEB STEEN & HAMILTON LLP
By   /s/Shuang Zhao
  Shuang Zhao, a Partner

 

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EXHIBIT 12.1

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges on a historical basis for the periods indicated. The ratio of earnings to fixed charges, as well as any deficiency of earnings are determined using the following applicable factors:

Earnings available for fixed charges are calculated by determining the sum of: (a) loss before income tax; (b) interest expense before preferred security dividends of consolidated subsidiaries and (c) amortization of capitalized interest.

Fixed charges are comprised of interest expense (including amortization of debt issuance costs), interest capitalized and preferred security dividends of consolidated subsidiaries.

Amount in INR 000’s

 

                       For the Three
Months Ended
June 30, 2018
 
     For the Year Ended March 31,  
     2016     2017     2018  

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

        

Computation of Earnings:

        

(Loss) before income tax

     (1,327,095     (299,236     (1,275,111     124,384  

Interest expense*

     2,325,776       2,763,992       5,844,184       1,285,721  

Amortization of Capitalized Interest

     14,209       20,333       32,392       10,668  

Total Earning/(loss) available for fixed charges

     1,012,890       2,485,089       4,601,465       1,420,773  

Computation of Fixed Charges:

        

Interest expense*

     2,325,776       2,763,992       5,844,184       1,285,721  

Interest capitalized

     219,166       256,802       383,884       69,862  

Redeemable non-controlling Interest

     29,825       44,073       6,397       —    

Fixed Charges

     2,574,767       3,064,867       6,234,465       1,355,583  

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges:

     —         —         —         1.05  

Earnings are inadequate to cover fixed charges in the amount of:

     (1,561,877     (579,778     (1,633,000     —    

 

*

Includes onetime refinance cost relating to non-cash write offs of unamortized deferred financing cost and one-time prepayment fees for debt refinancing of INR 62,095 and INR 1,290,511 during the years ended March 31, 2017 and March 31, 2018.

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in the Registration Statement (Form F-3) and related Prospectus of Azure Power Global Limited for the registration of $50,000,000 of equity shares, debt securities and warrants and to the incorporation by reference therein of our report dated June 15, 2018, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Azure Power Global Limited included in its Annual Report (Form 20-F) for the year ended March 31, 2018 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young Associates LLP

Gurgaon, India

August 31, 2018

Exhibit 23.4

 

Ref. No.: 6433    August 31, 2018

Azure Power Global Limited

3rd Floor, Asset 301-304 and 307

Worldmark 3, Aerocity

New Delhi 110 037, India

Dear Sirs,

We hereby consent to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus included in the registration statement on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-222171), to be filed by Azure Power Global Limited on August 31, 2018, with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Yours truly,

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co

/s/ Prashant Gupta

Prashant Gupta

(Partner)

Categories

SEC Filings