[Archived] Daily Mail article on the Bollywood billionaires of Blackburn

[Glenn]

To be fair, we knew even less about the money and people behind the trust

[BuckyRover]

Only that they didn't want us

[thenodrog]

I'm glad there are rare bits of positivity from the media, the Rao's come across very well in the article,

I BELIEVE..... that might be cos any negative stuff whatsoever is probably being suppressed. Possibly, perhaps, maybe.

[philipl]

Before, we started getting all this inflation in the value of VH this article appeared in the Times of India.

To quote- Venky’s India (formerly known as Western Hatcheries) is part of the Rs 1,300-crore Venkateshwara Hatcheries (VH) group, the largest and fully integrated poultry group in India. As per the recent analysis of ET Intelligence Group, the company is one of the fastest growing small companies with a strong brand equity and pan-India presence.

It goes on to say about Venky's India Limited that The company’s net sales have grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3% over the last five fiscal years and stands at Rs 569.3 crore in FY09.

The 569 crore number matches the annual accounts I have linked to.

I have previously written that VH is four times bigger than Venky's India which would be true if VH were turning over 2,900 crore or $640m which is the number that appears in one of the VH web sites but the Economics Unit of the Times of India puts VH at less than half that size.

All these numbers are miles away from the figures quoted in that Daily Mail piece which I think is just plain wrong based on everything that is in the public domain about the VH Group.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

It ignites my passion more every time I read/hear something negative about our great club.

These attacks should ignite the passion of everyone who supports our great club.There seems barely anyone within the media who has the guts to stand up for our club,fight our corner and tell it like it is.

Our fans are so laid back sometimes when it comes to defending our own we must seem like an easy target.

[imy9]

http://stage.venkys.com/about-us/

According to their own site "Today the VH Group is a 1 billion USD conglomerate, the largest fully integrated poultry group in Asia."

This does not include Venkatesh Hatcheries which is their biggest company and is private.

Funny how Wiki has changed from £40 million worth to £650 million.

I think the point is that they have lots of money and no one can say for definite how much they are worth.

[Mattyblue]

These attacks should ignite the passion of everyone who supports our great club.There seems barely anyone within the media who has the guts to stand up for our club,fight our corner and tell it like it is.

Our fans are so laid back sometimes when it comes to defending our own we must seem like an easy target.

I'd give honourable mentions to:

Henry Winter (Daily Telegraph)

Patrick Barclay (Times)

Martin Samuel (Mail)

And Nicko, of course!

As for the rest fo them...

[philipl]

http://stage.venkys.com/about-us/

According to their own site "Today the VH Group is a 1 billion USD conglomerate, the largest fully integrated poultry group in Asia."

This does not include Venkatesh Hatcheries which is their biggest company and is private.

Funny how Wiki has changed from £40 million worth to £650 million.

I think the point is that they have lots of money and no one can say for definite how much they are worth.

Venkatesh Hatcheries = VH Group

Like to try again?

One of the problems here is what is the $1bn? My guess is that it is a wet finger in the air guess at the price they would be willing to sell it for.

The times of India has turnover at about $300m and another one of their web sites has it at $640m

Obviously even the biggest number is a fraction of the sterling figure quoted by the Daily Mail.

[CrazyIvan]

www.venkys.com makes for interesting reading and definitely indicates that Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt. Ltd. is PART of VH Group.

[philipl]

VH are the initials of Venkateshwara Hatcheries.

The entities within VH include (according to that web site):

Venky’s Vietnam Co. Ltd

Venkateshwara Hatcheries

Venkys (India) Limited

VENCO

VRB

VR Equipment

VJ Equipment Limited

Uttara Foods & Feeds Pvt. Ltd

B.V.Bio-Corp Pvt.Ltd.

Uttara Impex Private Ltd

Venky’s do Brasil Ltda

Eastern Hatcheries Limited

VH Group in Bangladesh

Bala Entertainment International PVT Ltd

So the 53% shareholding in Venky's India and it looks like all the private bits and pieces are there including Balaji's Bollywood film ventures.

[CrazyIvan]

VH are the initials of Venkateshwara Hatcheries.

The entities within VH include (according to that web site):

Venky's Vietnam Co. Ltd

Venkateshwara Hatcheries

Venkys (India) Limited

VENCO

VRB

VR Equipment

VJ Equipment Limited

Uttara Foods & Feeds Pvt. Ltd

B.V.Bio-Corp Pvt.Ltd.

Uttara Impex Private Ltd

Venky's do Brasil Ltda

Eastern Hatcheries Limited

VH Group in Bangladesh

Bala Entertainment International PVT Ltd

So the 53% shareholding in Venky's India and it looks like all the private bits and pieces are there including Balaji's Bollywood film ventures.

Again it's Venkateshwara Hatcheries Private Limited. Seems to be a little different from VH Group which holds the above...

[Valois]

www.venkys.com makes for interesting reading and definitely indicates that Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt. Ltd. is PART of VH Group.

Agree.

VH Group is the primary company, Venkateshwara Hatcheries Pvt Ltd, is a subsidary of the group.

Found a structure of the company as per below link

http://stage.venkys.com/vh-group-structure/

I think it's safe to say they are making a fair amount of money. We can argue until we are blue in the face, about how much exactly. I would hope that Nick Harris did some research of his own, before allowing his piece to go to print. Of course I could be wrong.

As i've already said, I think some people have already made their mind up about our new owners, and no matter what they do from now on will always be questioned with doubt.

I'll agree they burnt bridges when they first came in, lets give them a chance to re-build those bridges.

[imy9]

That's 14, did the article not state 28? Blackburn Rovers is owned by them and not listed.

[philipl]

VH Group is the "$1bn" Group which has always been presented as the overall holding entity.

Venkateshwara Hatcheries Private Limited is a subsidiary and is not claimed to be $1bn.

VH are not good at keeping their web sites up to date so we know that Venky's London Ltd can be added to that list of 14. Subsidiaries of course can own sub-subsidiaries (like Rovers are) so it is easy to see how there could be 28 companies within the Group.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

It's all about Venky's...what about our prime concern Blackburn Rovers F.C.?

[Steve Moss]

I could understand the media slating the team when Big Sam left but since the rumours of Ronaldinho came out, the media have gone from questioning their motives to being totally disrespectful not just to Venky's but to Blackburn Rovers Football Club. The only reason is surely because we're a small town club in a league full of "big" clubs. Have they forgotten that we're one of the most successful teams in the history of the Premier League and also in the history of English football?

It's just made me get more behind Venky's and I am also hoping it will push the club closer together to prove them all wrong.

We will NEVER EVER be forgiven for 1995, the journos have been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Now I have no issue with quality journalism exposing Venky's, Kentaro or whoever, that is in all our interest. However, this slating of our football club on the basis of innuendo stinks to high heaven.

My take is that the mainstream football media is worried (and indignant) that Venkys will repeat Jack Walker's success. Venkys is talking about spending money and, by and large, appears to be making sensible moves in the transfer market. Even the Ronaldinho offer was reasonable, considering all the financial and footballing aspects.

Money + shrewd business sense + footballing brains + luck = trophies. Venkys is beginning to establish they may have the first two variables. Steve Kean may be in process of demonstrating the third. We have reason to be hopeful and should act it until Venkys, Kean or Lady Fortune gives us a massive kicking. Personally, I'm betting/hoping that luck will be a lady to the Rovers.

[TimmyJimmy]

Just caught up and read the Mail piece, first and only thing that sprang to mind was "infomercial".

I desperately wanted to hear this good stuff but the unrelenting positivity and unsolicited forensic answering of every negative point raised against them on this site and elsewhere plus the total lack of any 'journalistic' balance raised my suspicion that I was being sold to and manipulated.

Desperate is the key word here, desperate for the takeover dust to settle, desperate to find proof that we actually have good owners who do what they say, desperate to learn that agents haven't actually taken up residence at Brockhole, desperate to learn the Venkys have real cash, desperate to learn that non of the alleged back-stabbing and Machiavellian dealings are real, desperate to see that John Williams doesn't go, desperate to see us actually buy someone rather than rent them for six months. In short just plain desperate. I should be easy to sell to then, but I didn't buy it.

I'd be more at ease if the article focussed on the ethics and trustworthiness of the Venkys or that they stood up to be judged against all the assurances they gave when they signed the deed of sale. Stroking us and throwing us the odd bone, giving assurances that all will turn out well in the end whilst at the same time firing people and causing the club to be ridiculed in the media is ... what should I say ... underwhelming?

I really do hope that the good stuff keeps on building up and I get more and more confidence in them going forward, but one more bit of news about internal shenanigans and I'll drop of the perch.

[Bobby G]

Just caught up and read the Mail piece, first and only thing that sprang to mind was "infomercial".

I desperately wanted to hear this good stuff but the unrelenting positivity and unsolicited forensic answering of every negative point raised against them on this site and elsewhere plus the total lack of any 'journalistic' balance raised my suspicion that I was being sold to and manipulated.

Desperate is the key word here, desperate for the takeover dust to settle, desperate to find proof that we actually have good owners who do what they say, desperate to learn that agents haven't actually taken up residence at Brockhole, desperate to learn the Venkys have real cash, desperate to learn that non of the alleged back-stabbing and Machiavellian dealings are real, desperate to see that John Williams doesn't go, desperate to see us actually buy someone rather than rent them for six months. In short just plain desperate. I should be easy to sell to then, but I didn't buy it.

I'd be more at ease if the article focussed on the ethics and trustworthiness of the Venkys or that they stood up to be judged against all the assurances they gave when they signed the deed of sale. Stroking us and throwing us the odd bone, giving assurances that all will turn out well in the end whilst at the same time firing people and causing the club to be ridiculed in the media is ... what should I say ... underwhelming?

I really do hope that the good stuff keeps on building up and I get more and more confidence in them going forward, but one more bit of news about internal shenanigans and I'll drop of the perch.

They did say we would be leasing so it would be cheap!

[BuckyRover]

Leasing better than no leasing.

Academies abroad better than no academies abroad.

The team is being improved, it wasn't before. Hence they are doing ok (at the moment).

Rome wasn't built (or destroyed) in a day.

[dave birch]

My take is that the mainstream football media is worried (and indignant) that Venkys will repeat Jack Walker's success. Venkys is talking about spending money and, by and large, appears to be making sensible moves in the transfer market. Even the Ronaldinho offer was reasonable, considering all the financial and footballing aspects.

Money + shrewd business sense + footballing brains + luck = trophies. Venkys is beginning to establish they may have the first two variables. Steve Kean may be in process of demonstrating the third. We have reason to be hopeful and should act it until Venkys, Kean or Lady Fortune gives us a massive kicking. Personally, I'm betting/hoping that luck will be a lady to the Rovers.

Well said Steve.

I, too, think that the establishment media have to fear a successful Venkys.

They've derided their takeover

they've derided their PR,

Let them say what they want,

let the Raos show the establishment that they mean business, that they will do it their way and hopefully Blackburn Rovers will the team that footballing people will look to as a model.

[tonyoz]

We don't know because they are not pubic.

But we do know the "no debt no external parties" line is inaccurate and that the biggest number in their web sites for the size of VH which holds everything is $600m which is very different from the Daily Mail's claims.

Nicko stated they are clearly smaller than the Walker Trust and he tends to have the inside track on them more than most.

Harris (Mail on Sunday) apparently spent a week in India investigating our owners' financial health. This is more than anyone else has done, as far as I am aware. The internet alone has such patchy information that it is unlikely that anyone of us can come to a better assessment of their worth.

[patrickvalery]

Came accross this article from Nick Harris;

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2011/01/17/blackburn-india-special-pictures-of-pune-home-of-rovers-new-owners-17010/

The last paragraph seems to imply there will be various articles coming out this week. Apologies if i have read that incorrectly. But it might be interesting to see some of the VH Group's other concerns.

More apologies if this is has already been posted. Laziness on my part i'm afraid.

[AndyC]

Came accross this article from Nick Harris;

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2011/01/17/blackburn-india-special-pictures-of-pune-home-of-rovers-new-owners-17010/

The last paragraph seems to imply there will be various articles coming out this week. Apologies if i have read that incorrectly. But it might be interesting to see some of the VH Group's other concerns.

More apologies if this is has been posted. Laziness on my part i'm afraid.

good link. will watch that site for a few days

[JohnD]

The second article has been published

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2011/01/17/blackburn-india-special-the-vh-group-in-detail-170103/

[edit] what say our amateur accountants?

[Glenn]

The second article has been published

http://www.sportingi...-detail-170103/

[edit] what say our amateur accountants?

... or even the professional ones (we have at least 3 on here).