20-F/A 1 y78956e20vfza.htm 20-F/A e20vfza
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 20-F/A
(Amendment No. 1)
     
o   REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
     
þ   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2009
OR
     
o   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
     
o   SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of event requiring this shell company report                     
For the transition period from                     to                     
Commission File Number: 1-15182
DR. REDDY’S LABORATORIES LIMITED
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
     
Not Applicable   ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA
(Translation of Registrant’s name   (Jurisdiction of incorporation or
into English)   organization)
7-1-27, Ameerpet
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500 016, India
+91-40-23731946

(Address of principal executive offices)
Umang Vohra, Chief Financial Officer, +91-40-2373 1946, umangvohra@drreddys.com
7-1-27, Ameerpet, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
(Name, telephone, e-mail and/or facsimile number and address of company contact person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.
     
Title of Each Class   Name of Each Exchange on which Registered
American depositary shares, each representing
one equity share
  New York Stock Exchange
 
   
Equity Shares*
  New York Stock Exchange
*   Not for trading, but only in connection with the registration of American depositary shares, pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act. None.
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act. None.
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.
168,468,777 Equity Shares
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes þ No o
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes o No þ
Note — Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes o No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
             
Large accelerated filer þ
  Accelerated filer o   Non-accelerated filer o   Smaller reporting company o
 
      (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
         
U.S. GAAP o
  International Financial Reporting Standards as issued þ   Other o
 
  by the International Accounting Standards Board    
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.
Item 17 o Item 18 o
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).
Yes o No þ
 
 

 


 

EXPLANATORY NOTE
The purpose of this amendment is solely to correct a typographical error that appeared in Item 10.E. on page 103 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2009 (hereinafter referred to as the “Form 20-F”).
Set forth in this Amendment No. 1 to the Form 20-F is a fully restated Item 10.E which corrects said typographical error, but otherwise leaves unchanged the disclosures set forth in Item 10.E. of the original filing of the Form 20-F.
This Amendment No. 1 to the Form 20-F does not otherwise update the information set forth in the original filing of the Form 20-F.

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10.E. Taxation
Indian Taxation
     General. The following summary is based on the law and practice of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (the “Income-tax Act”), including the special tax regime contained in Sections 115AC and 115ACA of the Income-tax Act read with the Issue of Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds and Ordinary Shares (through Depository Receipt Mechanism) Scheme, 1993 (collectively, the “Income-tax Act Scheme”), as amended on January 19, 2000. The Income-tax Act is amended every year by the Finance Act of the relevant year. Some or all of the tax consequences of Sections 115AC and 115ACA may be amended or changed by future amendments to the Income-tax Act.
     We believe this information is materially complete as of the date hereof. However, this summary is not intended to constitute an authoritative analysis of the individual tax consequences to non-resident holders or employees under Indian law for the acquisition, ownership and sale of ADSs and equity shares. Each prospective investor should consult tax advisors with respect to taxation in India or their respective locations on acquisition, ownership or disposing of equity shares or ADSs.
     Residence. For purposes of the Income-tax Act, an individual is considered to be a resident of India during any fiscal year if he or she is in India in that year for:
    a period or periods of at least 182 days; or
 
    at least 60 days and, within the four preceding fiscal years has been in India for a period or periods amounting to at least 365 days.
     The period of 60 days referred to above shall be read as 182 days in case of a citizen of India or a Person of Indian Origin living outside India who is visiting India.
     A company is a resident of India under the Income-tax Act if it is formed or registered in India or the control and the management of its affairs is situated wholly in India. Individuals and companies that are not residents of India would be treated as non-residents for purposes of the Income-tax Act.
     Taxation of Distributions.
     a) As per Section 10(34) of the Income-tax Act, dividends paid by Indian Companies on or after April 1, 2003 to their shareholders (whether resident in India or not) are not subject to tax in the hands of the shareholders. However, the Indian company paying the dividend is subject to a dividend distribution tax at the rate of 16.995%, including applicable surcharges and the special levy called the “Education and Higher Education Cess (education cess)”, on the total amount it distributes, declares or pays as a dividend.
     b) Any distributions of additional ADSs or equity shares by way of bonus shares (i.e., stock dividends) to resident or non-resident holders will not be subject to Indian tax.
     Taxation of Capital Gains. The following is a brief summary of capital gains taxation of non-resident holders and resident employees relating to the sale of ADSs and equity shares received upon redemption of ADSs. The relevant provisions are contained mainly in sections 10(36), 10(38), 45, 47(viia), 111A, 115AC and 115ACA, of the Income-tax Act, in conjunction with the Income-tax Scheme. You should consult your own tax advisor concerning the tax consequences of your particular situation.
     A non-resident investor transferring our ADS or equity shares, whether transferred in India or outside India to a non-resident investor, will not be liable for income taxes arising from capital gains on such ADS or equity shares under the provisions of the Income-tax Act in certain circumstances. Equity shares (including equity shares issuable on the conversion of the ADSs) held by the non-resident investor for a period of more than 12 months are treated as long-term capital assets. If the equity shares are held for a period of less than 12 months from the date of conversion of the ADSs, the capital gains arising on the sale thereof is to be treated as short-term capital gains.
     Capital gains are taxed as follows:
    gains from a sale of ADSs outside India by a non-resident to another non-resident are not taxable in India;

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    long-term capital gains realized by a resident from the transfer of the ADSs will be subject to tax at the rate of 10%, plus the applicable surcharge and education cess; short-term capital gains on such a transfer will be taxed at graduated rates with a maximum of 30%, plus the applicable surcharge and education cess; and
 
    long-term capital gains realized by a non-resident upon the sale of equity shares obtained from the conversion of ADSs are subject to tax at a rate of 10%, plus the applicable surcharge and education cess; and short-term capital gains on such transfer will be taxed at the maximum marginal rate of tax applicable to the seller, plus the applicable surcharge and education cess, if the sale of such equity shares is settled outside of a recognized stock exchange in India.
 
    long-term capital gain realized by a non-resident upon the sale of equity shares obtained from the conversion of ADSs is exempt from tax and any short term capital gain is taxed at 15%, plus the applicable surcharge and education cess, if the sale of such equity shares is settled on a recognized stock exchange and securities transaction tax (“STT”) is paid on such sale.
     As per Section 10(38) of the Income-tax Act, long term capital gains arising from the transfer of equity shares on or after October 1, 2004 in a company completed through a recognized stock exchange in India and on which sale the STT has been paid are exempt from Indian tax.
     As per Section 111A of the Income-tax Act, short term capital gains arising from the transfer of equity shares on or after October 1, 2004 in a company completed through a recognized stock exchange in India are subject to tax at a rate of 15%, excluding education cess and the applicable surcharge.
     Purchase or sale of equity shares of a company listed on a recognized stock exchange in India is subject to a security transaction tax of 0.1% (0.125% from June 1, 2006) of the transaction value for any delivery based transaction and 0.02% (0.025% from June 1, 2006) for any non-delivery based transaction.
     The applicable provisions of the Income Tax Act, in the case of non-residents, may offset the above taxes, except the STT. The capital gains tax is computed by applying the appropriate tax rates to the difference between the sale price and the purchase price of the equity shares or ADSs. Under the Income-tax Scheme, the purchase price of equity shares in an Indian listed company received in exchange for ADSs will be the market price of the underlying shares on the date that the Depositary gives notice to the custodian of the delivery of the equity shares in exchange for the corresponding ADSs, or the “stepped up” basis purchase price. The market price will be the price of the equity shares prevailing on the Stock Exchange, Mumbai or the National Stock Exchange. There is no corresponding provision under the Income-tax Act in relation to the “stepped up” basis for the purchase price of equity shares. However, the tax department in India has not denied this benefit. In the event that the tax department denies this benefit, the original purchase price of ADSs would be considered the purchase price for computing the capital gains tax.
     According to the Income-tax Scheme, a non-resident holder’s holding period for the purposes of determining the applicable Indian capital gains tax rate relating to equity shares received in exchange for ADSs commences on the date of the notice of the redemption by the Depositary to the custodian. However, the Income-tax Scheme does not address this issue in the case of resident employees, and it is therefore unclear as to when the holding period for the purposes of determining capital gains tax commences for such a resident employee.
     The Income-tax Scheme provides that if the equity shares are sold on a recognized stock exchange in India against payment in Indian rupees, they will no longer be eligible for the preferential tax treatment.
     It is unclear as to whether section 115AC of the Income Tax Act and the rest of the Income-tax Scheme are applicable to a non-resident who acquires equity shares outside India from a non-resident holder of equity shares after receipt of the equity shares upon redemption of the ADSs.
     It is unclear as to whether capital gains derived from the sale of subscription rights or other rights by a non-resident holder not entitled to an exemption under a tax treaty will be subject to Indian capital gains tax. If such subscription rights or other rights are deemed by the Indian tax authorities to be situated within India, the gains realized on the sale of such subscription rights or other rights will be subject to Indian taxation. The capital gains realized on the sale of such subscription rights or other rights, which will generally be in the nature of short-term capital gains, will be subject to tax (i) at variable rates with a maximum rate of 40%, excluding the prevailing surcharge and education cess, in the case of a foreign company and (ii) in the range of 30.9% to 33.99%, including the applicable surcharge, in the case of resident employees and of non-resident individuals with taxable income over Rs. 1,000,000.

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     Withholding Tax on Capital Gains. Any gain realized by a non-resident or resident employee on the sale of equity shares is subject to Indian capital gains tax, which, in the case of a non-resident is to be withheld at the source by the buyer. However, as per the provisions of Section 196D(2) of the Income-tax Act, no withholding tax is required to be deducted from any income by way of capital gains arising to FIIs (as defined in Section 115AD of the Act) on the transfer of securities (as defined in Section 115AD of the Act).
     Buy-back of Securities. Indian companies are not subject to any tax on the buy-back of their shares. However, the shareholders are taxed on any resulting gains. We are required to deduct tax at source according to the capital gains tax liability of a non-resident shareholder.
     Stamp Duty and Transfer Tax. Upon issuance of the equity shares underlying our ADSs, we are required to pay a stamp duty of 0.1% per share of the issue price of the underlying equity shares. A transfer of ADSs is not subject to Indian stamp duty. A sale of equity shares in physical form by a non-resident holder is also subject to Indian stamp duty at the rate of 0.25% of the market value of the equity shares on the trade date, although customarily such tax is borne by the transferee. Shares must be traded in dematerialized form. The transfer of shares in dematerialized form is currently not subject to stamp duty.
     Wealth Tax. The holding of the ADSs and the holding of underlying equity shares by resident and non-resident holders will be exempt from Indian wealth tax. Non-resident holders are advised to consult their own tax advisors regarding the taxation of ADS in their country of residence.
     Gift Tax and Estate Duty. Currently, there are no gift taxes or estate duties. These taxes and duties could be restored in future. Non-resident holders are advised to consult their own tax advisors regarding this issue.
     Service Tax. Brokerage or commission paid to stockbrokers in connection with the sale or purchase of shares is subject to a service tax of 12.36%, reduced to 10.3% effective as of February 24, 2009. The stockbroker is responsible for collecting the service tax from the shareholder and paying it to the relevant authority.
United States Federal Taxation
     The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences that may be relevant with respect to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of equity shares or ADSs and is for general information only. This summary addresses the U.S. federal income and estate tax considerations of holders that are U.S. holders. “U.S. holders” are beneficial holders of equity shares or ADSs who are (i) citizens or residents of the United States, (ii) corporations (or other entities treated as corporations for U.S. federal tax purposes) created in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) estates, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source, and (iv) trusts for which a U.S. court exercises primary supervision and a U.S. person has the authority to control all substantial decisions. This summary is limited to U.S. holders who will hold equity shares or ADSs as capital assets. In addition, this summary is limited to U.S. holders who are not resident in India for purposes of the Convention Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of India for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income. If a partnership holds the equity shares or ADSs, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend upon the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. A partner in a partnership holding equity shares or ADSs should consult his own tax advisor.
     This summary does not address tax considerations applicable to holders that may be subject to special tax rules, such as banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, dealers in securities or currencies, tax-exempt entities, persons that will hold equity shares or ADSs as a position in a “straddle” or as part of a “hedging” or “conversion” transaction for tax purposes, persons that have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar or holders of 10% or more, by voting power or value, of the shares of our company. This summary is based on the tax laws of the United States as in effect on the date of this Annual Report and on United States Treasury Regulations in effect or, in some cases, proposed, as of the date of this Annual Report, as well as judicial and administrative interpretations thereof available on or before such date, and is based in part on the assumption that each obligation in the deposit agreement and any related agreement will be performed in accordance with its terms. All of the foregoing are subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could affect the tax consequences described below.
     Each prospective investor should consult his, her or its own tax advisor with respect to the U.S. Federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of acquiring, owning or disposing of equity shares or ADSs.

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     Ownership of ADSs. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, holders of ADSs will be treated as the holders of equity shares represented by such ADSs.
     Dividends. Except for ADSs or equity shares, if any, distributed pro rata to all shareholders of our company, including holders of ADSs, the gross amount of any distributions of cash or property with respect to ADSs or equity shares (before reduction for any Indian withholding taxes) will generally be included in income by a U.S. holder as foreign source dividend income at the time of receipt, which in the case of a U.S. holder of ADSs generally should be the date of receipt by the Depositary, to the extent such distributions are made from our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Such dividends will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction generally allowed to corporate U.S. holders. To the extent, if any, that the amount of any distribution by us exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles) such excess will be treated first as a tax-free return of the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the equity shares or ADSs and thereafter as capital gain.
     Subject to certain limitations, dividends paid to non-corporate U.S. holders, including individuals, may be eligible for a reduced rate of taxation if we are deemed to be a “qualified foreign corporation” for United States federal income tax purposes and certain holding period requirements are met. A qualified foreign corporation includes a foreign corporation if (1) its shares (or, according to legislative history, its ADSs) are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States or (2) it is eligible for the benefits under a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States. In addition, a corporation is not a qualified foreign corporation if it is a passive foreign investment company (as discussed below) for either its taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year. The ADSs are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Due to the absence of specific statutory provisions addressing ADSs, however, there can be no assurance that we are a qualified foreign corporation solely as a result of our listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Nonetheless, we may be eligible for benefits under the comprehensive income tax treaty between India and the United States. Absent congressional action to extend these rules, the reduced rate of taxation will not apply to dividends received in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010. Each U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the treatment of dividends and such holder’s eligibility for a reduced rate of taxation.
     Subject to certain conditions and limitations, any Indian withholding tax imposed upon to a U.S. holder with respect to distributions on ADSs or equity shares should be eligible for credit against the U.S. holder’s federal income tax liability. Alternatively, a U.S. holder may claim a deduction for such amount, but only for a year in which a U.S. holder does not claim a credit with respect to any foreign income taxes. The overall limitation on foreign taxes eligible for credit is calculated separately with respect to specific classes of income. For this purpose, distributions on ADSs or equity shares will be income from sources outside the United States, and will be “passive category income” or “general category income” for purposes of computing the United States foreign tax credit allowable to a U.S. holder.
     If dividends are paid in Indian rupees, the amount of the dividend distribution included in the income of a U.S. holder will be in the U.S. dollar value of the payments made in Indian rupees, determined at a spot exchange rate between Indian rupees and U.S. dollars applicable to the date such dividend is included in the income of the U.S. holder, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. Generally, gain or loss, if any, resulting from currency exchange fluctuations during the period from the date the dividend is paid to the date such payment is converted into U.S. dollars will be treated as U.S. source ordinary income or loss.
     Sale or exchange of equity shares or ADSs. A U.S. holder generally will recognize gain or loss on the sale or exchange of equity shares or ADSs equal to the difference between the amount realized on such sale or exchange and the U.S. holder’s tax basis in the equity shares or ADSs, as the case may be. Such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the equity shares or ADSs, as the case may be, were held for more than one year. Gain or loss, if any, recognized by a U.S. holder generally will be treated as U.S. source passive category income or loss for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Capital gains realized by a U.S. holder upon the sale of equity shares (but not ADSs) may be subject to certain tax in India. See “Taxation—Indian Taxation—Taxation of Capital Gains.” Due to limitations on foreign tax credits, however, a U.S. holder may not be able to utilize any such taxes as a credit against the U.S. holder’s federal income tax liability.
     Estate taxes. An individual shareholder who is a citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal estate tax purposes will have the value of the equity shares or ADSs held by such holder included in his or her gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes. An individual holder who actually pays Indian estate tax with respect to the equity shares will, however, be entitled to credit the amount of such tax against his or her U.S. federal estate tax liability, subject to a number of conditions and limitations.

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     Backup withholding tax and information reporting requirements. Any dividends paid, or proceeds on a sale of, equity shares or ADSs to or by a U.S. holder may be subject to U.S. information reporting, and a backup withholding tax (currently at a rate of 28%) may apply unless the holder establishes that he, she or it is an exempt recipient or provides a U.S. taxpayer identification number, certifies that such holder is not subject to backup withholding and otherwise complies with any applicable backup withholding requirements. Any amount withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or credit against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax, provided that the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
     Passive foreign investment company. A non-U.S. corporation will be classified as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. Federal income tax purposes if either:
    75% or more of its gross income for the taxable year is passive income; or
 
    on average for the taxable year by value, or, if it is not a publicly traded corporation and so elects, by adjusted basis, if 50% or more of its assets produce or are held for the production of passive income.
     We do not believe that we will be treated as a passive foreign investment company for the current taxable year. Since this determination is made on an annual basis, however, no assurance can be given that we will not be considered a passive foreign investment company in future taxable years. If we were to be a passive foreign investment company for any taxable year, U.S. holders would be required to either:
    pay an interest charge together with tax calculated at ordinary income rates (which may be higher than the ordinary income rates that otherwise apply to U.S. holders) on “excess distributions,” as the term is defined in relevant provisions of the U.S. tax laws, and on any gain on a sale or other disposition of ADSs or equity shares;
 
    if a “qualified electing fund election” (as the term is defined in relevant provisions of the U.S. tax laws) is made, include in their taxable income their pro rata share of undistributed amounts of our income; or
 
    if the equity shares are “marketable stock” and a mark-to-market election is made, mark-to-market the equity shares each taxable year and recognize ordinary gain and, to the extent of prior ordinary gain, ordinary loss for the increase or decrease in market value for such taxable year.
     If we are treated as a passive foreign investment company, we do not plan to provide information necessary for the “qualified electing fund” election.
     The above summary is not intended to constitute a complete analysis of all tax consequences relating to the ownership of equity shares or ADSs. You should consult your own tax advisor concerning the tax consequences to you based on your particular situation.

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SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20–F/A and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this Amendment No. 1 to Annual Report on its behalf.
         
  DR. REDDY’S LABORATORIES LIMITED
 
 
  By:   /s/ G.V. Prasad    
    G.V. Prasad    
    Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer   
 
     
  By:   /s/ Umang Vohra    
    Umang Vohra   
    Chief Financial Officer   
 
Hyderabad, India
August 21, 2009

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