India

We've worked on Indian transactions for over fifty years. Clients can draw on our deep Indian experience, our market know-how and the firm’s India Group.

We regularly work on India-related business for both international and Indian clients. As current Indian regulations prohibit foreign firms from having an office in India or advising on Indian law, we do this in cooperation with the Indian bar and we work with carefully chosen Indian law firms.

The India Group – a network of India-experienced lawyers

Every year partners from across our network work with clients on a wide range of India-related corporate and M&A, securities and banking matters. We also have a top tier India Dispute Resolution and Regulatory practice that is run from our Singapore office. These partners are usually members of our India Group, a firm-wide network of lawyers with hands-on experience of in- and outbound Indian-related transactions. The India Group partners give clients a tried and tested route to our India experience and capability.

Recent examples of our work for international clients include advising: Japan Bank for International Cooperation as part of a consortium of lenders on a total of ¥55 billion (US$500 million) in loans to India's largest petrochemical company, Reliance Industries Limited; the international lenders on the US$3.5 billion partial refinancing of the 3960MW Sasan UMPP coal fired power plant; a syndicate of banks in respect of an unsecured US$160 million facility for Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal Pvt. Ltd; and the murabaha financing facility to Alok Industries (Deal of the Year: IBLJ, 2013).

Recent examples of our work for Indian clients include advising: ONGC Videsh Limited in its proposed US$1 billion Rule 144A/Reg S offer of Guaranteed Notes guaranteed by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited; Indiabulls Real Estate on its US$175 million high yield offering; State Bank of India on Bharat Forge Limited's US$60 million Term Loan Facility; and Ramky Enviro Engineers' acquisition of Australia's Enviropacific Services.

India experts with a proven track record

We're recognised as having deep experience in India. Clients know that we understand India, its legal framework and its business environments, and rank us accordingly:

"Technically, and on the legal merits, they are of the quality you would expect of a large multinational firm and they instil confidence in that way."
"Clifford Chance provided excellent insights into a dispute relating to India."

Chambers Asia Pacific, India, Dispute Resolution (International Firms) (Expertise Based Abroad), 2024

Awards and recent highlights

Awards

International Firm of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2024
M&A Team of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2024
Securitisation and Structured Finance Team of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2024
Specialist Award: Financial Services Regulatory – International
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2024
Innovative Law Firm (headquartered outside of Asia Pacific)
FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Asia 2023
Innovative Lawyers in Transforming Industries
FT Innovative Lawyers Awards Asia 2023
Debt And Equity-Linked Capital Markets Team of the Year
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2023
Specialist Award: Financial Services Regulatory – International
IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2023

Examples of work include advising:

Advised the lead managers BofA Merrill Lynch, CITIC CLSA Securities, SBI Capital Markets and Axis Capital on the US$600 million Regulation S / Rule 144A qualified institutions placement of Indiabulls Housing Finance Limited. (2015)
Advised the arrangers in connection with separate US$1 billion and US$500 million credit facility agreements for Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited. (2015)
Advised DBS and Standard Chartered Bank on a US$300 million high yield bond offering by Reliance Communications, one of India's leading telecommunications operators. (2015)
Advised Qatar Investment Authority on its US$150 million investment in Flipkart Limited. (2014)
Advised CLSA and JP Morgan as lead managers on Prestige Estate Limited's US$100 million equity placement. (2014)
Advised ONGC Videsh Limited in its proposed US$1 billion Rule 144A/Reg S offer of Guaranteed Notes guaranteed by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited. (2014)
Acting on four LCIA Arbitrations on behalf of companies owned and controlled by one of India's most prominent developers against a UK listed entity concerning a series of development projects across India with a value of over £1 billion. (ongoing)
Advised on the establishment of ICICI Infrastructure Advantage Fund – DIF II, which will target investments in the Indian infrastructure sector. (2014)
Advised Essar Global Fund Limited in relation to its successful takeover of Essar Energy plc, the Mauritius-headquartered, London-listed, and India-focused natural resources company. (2014)
Advising the international lenders on the partial refinancing of the 3960MW Sasan UMPP coal fired power plant in Madhya Pradesh, India, and the development of associated captive coal mines at Moher. (ongoing)
Advised a syndicate of banks including DNB Bank in respect of an unsecured US$160 million facility for Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal Pvt. Ltd, to finance the construction and operation of a standalone container handling facility of 330 metres quay length alongside its existing terminal operation at Nhava Sheva, Mumbai. (2014)