As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 2, 2017
    No. 333-            
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  Washington, D.C. 20549  

 

 

FORM F-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

AMIRA NATURE FOODS LTD
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

British Virgin Islands

(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation or Organization)

  98-0536376
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

29E, A.U. Tower
Jumeirah Lake Towers

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Telephone: +97144357303
(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Amira I Grand Foods Inc
12 East 52nd Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: +1-646-779-1984
Attention: Bruce Wacha, Chief Financial Officer

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

 

 

Copies to:

Tim Cruickshank

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

601 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10022

(212) 446-4800

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

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.  x

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 x

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. x

 

† 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 (1)
  Amount
to be registered
(2)
    Proposed maximum
offering price
per unit (2)
    Proposed maximum
aggregate
offering price (2)(3)
    Amount of
registration fee
 
Debt Securities                                
Ordinary Shares                                
Preferred Shares                                
Warrants                                
Subscription Rights                                
Units                                
Total                   $ 100,000,000     $ 11,590 (4)

 

(1) Securities registered hereunder may be sold separately, together or as units with other securities registered hereunder.
(2) The amount to be registered, proposed maximum aggregate offering price per unit and proposed maximum aggregate offering price of each class of securities will be determined from time to time by the Registrant in connection with the issuance by the Registrant of the securities registered hereunder and is not specified as to each class of securities pursuant to the General Instruction II.C. of Form F-3 under the Securities Act of 1933.
(3) The Registrant is registering an indeterminate aggregate amount of securities of each identified class of securities up to a proposed aggregate offering price of $100,000,000 which may be offered from time to time in unspecified numbers and at indeterminate prices, and as may be issued upon conversion, redemption, repurchase, exchange or exercise of any securities registered hereunder, including under any applicable anti-dilution provisions.
(4) Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act.

 

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 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.

 

 

 

 

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED AUGUST 2, 2017

 

$100,000,000

 

 

 

Amira Nature Foods Ltd

 

DEBT SECURITIES
ORDINARY SHARES
PREFERRED SHARES
WARRANTS
SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS
UNITS

 

We may from time to time offer to sell our debt securities, ordinary shares, preferred shares, warrants or subscription rights, as well as units that include any of these securities. The debt securities may consist of debentures, notes or other types of debt. Our ordinary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and under the ticker symbol “ANFI.” The debt securities, preferred shares, warrants, rights and units may be convertible or exercisable for ordinary shares or preferred shares.

 

We may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, on a continuous or delayed basis. These securities also may be resold by security holders.

 

This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell any securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. We will provide specific terms of any securities to be offered in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest.

 

Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 2 of our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein.

 

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

 

  Page
   
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS ii
SUMMARY 1
RISK FACTORS 2
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 2
USE OF PROCEEDS 2
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES 3
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES 4
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL 10
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS 21
DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS 22
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS 23
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 24
TAXATION 26
LEGAL MATTERS 26
EXPERTS 26
ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES 27
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION 28
INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION BY REFERENCE 29

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under the shelf process, we may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings, up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $100,000,000.

 

This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities described in the prospectus we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering, including the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities offered. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read both this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or other offering materials, together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize be provided to you. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information or additional information. If anyone provides you with different, inconsistent or additional information, you should not rely on it. We are not making offers to sell or solicitations to buy the securities in any jurisdiction in which an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making that offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or solicitation.

 

This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or other offering materials do not contain all of the information included in the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and, therefore, file reports and other information with the SEC. Statements contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or other offering materials about the provisions or contents of any agreement or other document are only summaries. If SEC rules require that any agreement or document be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, you should refer to that agreement or document for its complete contents.

 

You should assume that the information in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that any information that we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or any sale of a security.

 

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SUMMARY

 

You should carefully read this entire prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, including each of the documents incorporated herein and therein by reference, before making an investment decision. Unless the context requires otherwise, when used in this prospectus, “we”, “us”, “our”, “the Company”, “the Group”, “our Company” or “ANFI” are to Amira Nature Foods Ltd, a British Virgin Islands business company, including its subsidiaries.

 

We are a leading global manufacturer, marketer and distributor of branded packaged specialty rice and other related food products, with sales across five continents around the world. We generate the majority of our revenue through the sale of Basmati rice, a premium long-grain variety of rice grown only in the geographically indicated region of the Indian sub-continent, as well as other specialty rice. We sell our products under our flagship Amira brand, as well as under other Company owned brands and third party brands. We have also developed a line of Amira branded products to complement our packaged rice offerings, such as edible oils and organic products. We plan to further expand our Amira branded product offering into other value add categories. We also sell other products such as wheat, barley, legumes and other produce to large institutional customers. Our fourth generation leadership has built on a rich, century-old legacy and transformed Amira from a local family-run business to a publicly-listed globally focused packaged food company with a global leadership position in the high growth Basmati rice sector. Under our current leadership, we significantly expanded our footprint in India and internationally. We completed an initial public offering (“IPO”) in October 2012 and our shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the stock symbol “ANFI”.

 

Our principal executive offices are located at 29E, A.U. Tower, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Our telephone number at that address is + 971 4435 7303, and our web address is www.amira.net . Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement and does not constitute part of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

 

 

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RISK FACTORS

 

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference from our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and the other information contained in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement, as updated by our subsequent filings with the SEC, pursuant to Sections 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, which are incorporated herein by reference, before buying our securities. For more information see “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents By Reference.”

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus, the registration statement of which it forms a part, each prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference into these documents contain statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect ,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “future” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

 

· our goals and strategies;

 

· our expansion plans;

 

· our future business development, results of operations and financial condition;

 

· our ability to protect our intellectual property rights;

 

· projected revenue, profits, adjusted profits, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, earnings, adjusted earnings and other estimated financial information;

 

· our ability to maintain strong relationships with our customers and suppliers;

 

· the continued application of the proceeds from our initial public offering;

 

· governmental policies regarding our industry; and

 

· the impact of legal proceedings.

 

Factors that might cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, those discussed in our most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, which is incorporated by reference herein. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements contained herein, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to any forward-looking statements. You are advised, however, to consult any additional disclosures we have made or will make in our reports to the SEC on Forms 20-F and 6-K. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this prospectus.

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds of any offering of securities for working capital and other general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment or refinancing of outstanding indebtedness and the financing of future acquisitions. We may have significant discretion in the use of any net proceeds. The net proceeds may be invested temporarily in interest-bearing accounts and short-term interest-bearing securities until they are used for their stated purpose. We may provide additional information on the use of the net proceeds from the sale of the offered securities in an applicable prospectus supplement relating to the offered securities.

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

The following table sets forth our historical ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated:

 

For the year ended March 31,
2013   2014   2015   2016   2017
2.31:1   3.05:1   2.89:1   2.46:1   2.24:1

 

Because we have not issued any preferred shares to date, the ratios of earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividend requirements are identical to the ratios shown above.

 

For the purposes of the calculation of our historical ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings has been calculated in accordance with SEC rules. Accordingly, no adjustment for one-time expenses, non-cash stock compensation expense or IPO-related expenses has been made.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

 

The debt securities will have the terms described in this prospectus unless the prospectus supplement describes different terms.

 

Each series of debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee to be named therein. The trustee will serve two principal roles:

 

· the trustee can enforce your rights against us if an Event of Default described below occurs; and

 

· the trustee performs various administrative duties.

 

The following description is a summary of selected provisions relating to the debt securities and the indenture. We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. When debt securities are offered in the future, the prospectus supplement will explain the particular terms of those securities and the extent to which these general provisions may apply. Capitalized terms used in the summary have the meanings specified in the indenture.

 

General

 

The debt securities will be senior debt securities. The indenture does not limit the total principal amount of debt securities that we can issue. We may issue the debt securities in one or more series as we may authorize from time to time. In addition, we may “reopen” a previous issue of debt securities by issuing additional debt securities of that series.

 

A prospectus supplement and a supplemental indenture (or resolutions of our board of directors in lieu of a supplemental indenture) relating to any series of debt securities being offered will include specific terms relating to the offering. These terms will include some or all of the following:

 

· the title of the debt securities;

 

· any limit on the total principal amount of the debt securities;

 

· the dates on which the principal and premium, if any, of the debt securities will be payable;

 

· the interest rate (or method of determining the rate) that the debt securities will bear, the interest payment dates for the debt securities and the record dates for determination of the holders to whom interest is payable;

 

· the place where we will pay principal, premium and interest on the debt securities;

 

· any optional redemption periods and prices and any specific terms or conditions related to optional redemptions;

 

· whether the debt securities are convertible or exchangeable into other securities;

 

· any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate us to repurchase or otherwise redeem the debt securities;

 

· the denominations in which we will issue the debt securities, if other than $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

 

· the manner in which we will determine the amounts of principal, premium or interest payments on the debt securities if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index;

 

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· the currency in which we will pay principal, premium and interest on the debt securities if other than the United States dollar;

 

· if other than the entire principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities (a) payable if the maturity of the debt securities is accelerated or (b) provable in bankruptcy;

 

· any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;

 

· any changes in or additions to the Events of Default (as defined below);

 

· whether we will issue the debt securities in the form of global securities and the terms and conditions of the global securities;

 

· any changes or additions to the covenants; and

 

· any other terms of the debt securities.

 

We may issue debt securities at a discount below their stated principal amount. Even if we do not issue the debt securities below their stated principal amount, for United States federal income tax purposes the debt securities may be deemed to have been issued with a discount because of certain interest payment characteristics. We will describe in a prospectus supplement the United States federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued at a discount or deemed to be issued at a discount. We will also describe in a prospectus supplement any special United States federal income tax considerations or other restrictions or terms applicable to the debt securities being issued, including, as applicable, securities issuable in bearer form, offered exclusively to foreigners or denominated in a foreign currency.

 

We may issue debt securities in fully registered form without coupons or in a form registered as to principal only with coupons or in bearer form with coupons. Unless specified in the prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be in fully registered form without coupons. In addition, we may issue debt securities in the form of one or more global securities as described below.

 

Registration, Transfer and Payment

 

Principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on fully registered securities will be payable at the place or places we designate for such purpose, or we may pay interest by check mailed to the persons in whose names the securities are registered at the close of business on the day or days specified in the prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus. The principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on debt securities in other forms will be payable in the manner and at the place we designate as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

You may present fully registered securities for transfer or exchange at the corporate trust office of the trustee or any other office or agency we maintain for that purpose, without the payment of any service charge except for any tax or governmental charge incidental to the transfer or exchange. Provisions for the transfer or exchange of securities in other forms will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Global Securities

 

We may issue the debt securities in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities. A global security is a security, typically held by a depositary, that represents the beneficial interests of a number of purchasers of such security. We will deposit global securities with the depositary identified in the prospectus supplement. Unless it is exchanged in whole or in part for debt securities in definitive form, a global certificate may generally be transferred only as a whole to certain nominees of the depositary or to a successor depositary or nominee of a successor depositary.

 

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We will describe the specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to a series of debt securities in a prospectus supplement. We expect that the following provisions will generally apply to our depositary arrangements.

 

Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to “participants” or persons that may hold interests through participants. The term “participants” means institutions that have established accounts with the depositary or its nominee. Upon the issuance of a global security, and the deposit of the global security with or on behalf of the depositary, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of the debt securities represented by the global security to the accounts of participants. The underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the debt securities will designate the accounts to be credited. If we offer and sell the debt securities directly or through agents, either we or our agents will designate the accounts. Ownership of beneficial interests in the global security will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary and its participants. The laws of some jurisdictions require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of the securities. Such laws may impair the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a global security.

 

Principal of, any premium on and any interest payments on debt securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee as the registered owner of the global security. We and the trustee will treat the depositary or its nominee as the sole owner or holder of the debt securities represented by a global security for all purposes, including for paying principal, premium and interest. Except as set forth below, owners of beneficial interests in a global security will not:

 

· be entitled to have the debt securities represented by the global security registered in their names;

 

· receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the debt securities in definitive form; or

 

· be considered the owners or holders of the debt securities.

 

Therefore, we and the trustee do not have any direct responsibility or liability for the payment of principal of, premium, if any, on or interest, if any, on any debt securities represented by a global security to owners of beneficial interests in the global security.

 

We expect that the depositary or its nominee, upon receipt of any payments, will on the same date credit participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal amount of the global security as shown on the depositary’s or its nominee’s records. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interest in the global security will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers registered in “street names” and will be the responsibility of these participants and will not be the responsibility of the depositary or its nominee, the trustee or us. We or the trustee are responsible only for paying principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, to the depositary or its nominee. The depositary or its nominee and the direct and indirect participants are responsible for disbursing these payments to the owners of beneficial interests in the global securities.

 

If the depositary is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary and a successor depositary is not appointed by us within ninety days, we will issue individual debt securities in exchange for the global security. In addition, we may at any time in our sole discretion determine not to have any of the debt securities of a series represented by global securities and, in such event, will issue debt securities of such series in exchange for the global security.

 

Neither we, nor the trustee or any paying agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to the beneficial ownership interests. No such person will be liable for any delay by the depositary or any of its participants in identifying the owners of beneficial interests in a global security, and we, the trustee and any paying agent may conclusively rely on instructions from the depositary or its nominee for all purposes.

 

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Conversion or Exchange Rights

 

The terms, if any, on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for ordinary shares or other of our securities will be detailed in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder, or at our option, and may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our ordinary shares or other of our securities to be received by the holders of the series of debt securities would be subject to adjustment.

 

Consolidation, Merger or Sale

 

The indenture provides that, except as otherwise provided in any prospectus supplement, we may consolidate with or merge into any other person or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to another person, if among other things:

 

· the resulting, surviving or transferee person (if other than us) assumes all our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture; and

 

· we or such successor person is not immediately thereafter in default under the indenture.

 

Upon the assumption our obligations by such a person upon the sale of all or substantially all the assets in compliance with the indenture, we shall be discharged from all obligations under the debt securities and the indenture. Although such transactions are permitted under the indenture, certain of the foregoing transactions could constitute a “change in control,” as described in any prospectus supplement, permitting each holder to require us to purchase the debt securities of such holder as described in any prospectus supplement.

 

Modification and Waiver

 

The indenture (including the terms and conditions of the debt securities) may be modified or amended by us and the trustee, with respect to any series of debt securities, without the consent of the holder of such series of debt securities, for the purposes of, among other things:

 

· adding to our covenants for the benefit of the holders of the debt securities of such series;

 

· surrendering any right or power conferred upon us in respect of such series;

 

· providing for the assumption of our obligations to the holders of the debt securities of such series in the case of a permitted merger, consolidation, conveyance, transfer or lease;

 

· complying with the requirements of the SEC in connection with the registration of the debt securities of such series under the Securities Act and the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act, provided that such modification or amendment does not, in the good faith opinion of our board of directors and the trustee, adversely affect the interests of the holders of the debt securities of such series in any material respect; and

 

· curing any ambiguity or correcting or supplementing any defective provision contained in the indenture; provided that such modification or amendment does not materially adversely affect the interests of the holders of the debt securities of such series.

 

· Modifications and amendments to the indenture or to the terms and conditions of the debt securities of such series may also be made, and past defaults by us may be waived, either:

 

· with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount at maturity of the debt securities of such series at the time outstanding; or

 

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· by the adoption of a resolution at a meeting of holders by at least a majority in aggregate principal amount at maturity of the debt securities of such series represented at such meeting.

 

However, no such modification, amendment or waiver may, without the written consent or the affirmative vote of the holder of each debt security so affected:

 

· change the stated maturity of such debt security;

 

· reduce the principal amount at maturity, redemption price or purchase price on such debt security;

 

· change the currency of payment of such debt security or interest thereon;

 

· reduce the percentage in aggregate principal amount at maturity of any debt security outstanding necessary to modify or amend the indenture or to waive any past default; or

 

· impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment with respect to such debt security.

 

Events of Default

 

Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indenture provides that the following are “Events of Default” with respect to any series of the debt securities issued thereunder:

 

· default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any debt security of such series when and as the same shall become due and payable;

 

· default for 30 days in the payment of any installment of interest on any debt security of such series when and as the same shall become due and payable;

 

· default in the making or satisfaction of any sinking fund payment when the same shall become due and payable on the terms of any debt securities of such series;

 

· default for 60 days after notice in the performance of any other covenant in respect of the debt securities of such series contained in the indenture;

 

· certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization; or

 

· any other event of default described in the prospectus supplement for such series.

 

An Event of Default with respect to any particular series of debt securities issued under an indenture does not necessarily constitute an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities issued under such indenture. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of any debt securities of any default (except in the payment of principal or interest) if it considers such withholding is in the interests of such holders.

 

Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, if an Event of Default with respect to any series of debt securities shall have occurred and be continuing, the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of such series of debt securities may declare the principal of all the debt securities of such series to be due and payable immediately; provided, however, that subject to certain conditions, any such declaration and its consequences may be rescinded and annulled by the holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of such series.

 

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The indenture will require us to file annually with the trustee a certificate, signed by a specified officer, stating whether or not such officer has obtained knowledge of any default by us in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any condition or covenant of such indenture, and, if so, specifying each such default and the nature thereof.

 

Subject to provisions relating to its duties in case of a default, a trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request, order or direction of any holders, unless the holders shall have offered to such trustee reasonable indemnity.

 

Subject to such provisions for indemnification, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding or any remedy available to the appropriate trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon such trustee, with respect to the debt securities of such series.

 

Satisfaction and Discharge of the Indenture; Defeasance

 

With certain exceptions, we may satisfy and discharge its obligations under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities:

 

· by delivering to the trustee for cancellation all outstanding debt securities of such series or by depositing with the trustee cash or securities (as applicable under the terms of the indenture) sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness evidenced by the outstanding debt securities of such series that have not then been delivered to the trustee for cancellation when or after such securities have become due and payable; and

 

· by paying all other sums payable by the us under the indenture with respect to the debt securities of such series.

 

Under federal income tax law as of the date of this prospectus, such deposit and discharge may be treated as a disposition of the related debt securities. Each holder might be required to recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the holder’s cost or other tax basis in the debt securities and the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received upon such disposition. Holders might be required to include as income a different amount than would be includable without the discharge. Prospective investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a discharge, including the applicability and effect of tax laws other than the federal income tax law.

 

A series of debt securities may have no conditions for defeasance or may have additional or different conditions for defeasance as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Governing Law

 

The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

 

General

 

Amira is a BVI business company (company number 1696278) incorporated on February 20, 2012 and our affairs are governed by the provisions of our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 (as amended), or the BVI Act, and the common law of the BVI.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association authorize the issuance of an unlimited number of ordinary shares, $0.001 par value per share, and an unlimited number of preferred shares, $0.001 par value per share.

 

The following description of our share capital is qualified in its entirety by reference to our memorandum and articles of association, which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

 

Memorandum and Articles of Association

 

Registered Office - Our registered office is at the offices of Intertrust Corporate Services (BVI) Limited, Ritter House, Wickhams Cay II,, Road Town, Tortola VG 1110, British Virgin Islands.

 

Objects and Purposes, Register and Shareholders - Our objects and purposes are unlimited. Our register of shareholders is maintained by our transfer agent, Continental Stock & Trust Company. Under the BVI Act, a BVI company may treat the registered holder of a share as the only person entitled to (a) exercise any voting rights attaching to the share, (b) receive notices, (c) receive a distribution in respect of the share and (d) exercise other rights and powers attaching to the share. Consequently, as a matter of BVI law, where a shareholder’s shares are registered in the name of a nominee such as Cede & Co, the nominee is entitled to receive notices, receive distributions and exercise rights in respect of any such ordinary shares registered in its name. The beneficial owners of the ordinary shares registered in a nominee’s name are therefore reliant on their contractual arrangements with the nominee in order to receive notices and dividends and ensure the nominee exercises voting rights in respect of the ordinary shares in accordance with their directions.

 

Directors’ Powers - under the BVI Act, subject to any limitations in a company’s memorandum and articles of association, a company’s business and affairs are managed by, or under the supervision of, its directors, and directors generally have all powers necessary to manage a company. A director must disclose any interest he has on any proposal, arrangement or contract not entered into in the ordinary course of business and on usual terms and conditions. An interested director may vote on a transaction in which he has an interest. The directors may cause us to borrow money or mortgage or charge our property or uncalled capital, to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of us or any third party.

 

Rights, Preferences and Restrictions of Ordinary Shares - Subject to certain restrictions, our directors may authorize dividends at such time and in such amount as they determine. Each ordinary share is entitled to one vote. There are no cumulative voting rights. In the event of a liquidation or winding up of the company, our shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of shares, if any, having preference over the ordinary shares. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to our ordinary shares. Holders of our ordinary shares have no pre-emptive rights. Subject to the provisions of the BVI Act, we may repurchase our ordinary shares in certain circumstances.

 

Rights Preferences and Restrictions of Preferred Shares - Our memorandum and articles of association authorizes our board of directors to create and to issue up to five classes of preferred shares without shareholder approval with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined by our board of directors. We have five classes of preferred shares to give us flexibility as to the terms on which each class is issued since, under BVI law, all shares of a single class must be issued with the same rights and obligations. Our board of directors is empowered, without shareholder approval, to issue such preferred shares with dividend, liquidation, redemption, voting or other rights which could harm the voting power or other rights of the holders of ordinary shares or another class of preferred shares. Although we do not currently intend to issue any preferred shares, we may do so in the future.

 

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Variation of the Rights of Shareholders - As permitted by the BVI Act and our memorandum of association, we may vary the rights attached to any class of shares only with the consent of not less than a majority of the votes of shareholders of that class who being so entitled attend and vote at the meeting of that class, except where a greater majority is required under our memorandum and articles of association or the BVI Act. A greater majority is required in relation to a scheme of arrangement and may be required in relation to a plan of arrangement. For these purposes, the creation, designation or issuance of preferred shares with rights and privileges ranking equal to or in priority to an existing class of ordinary or preferred shares is deemed not to be a variation of the rights of such existing class and may be effected by resolution of directors without shareholder approval.

 

Shareholder Meetings - Our directors may call a meeting of shareholders whenever they see fit. Our shareholders may requisition our directors to hold a meeting upon the written request of shareholders entitled to exercise at least 30% of the voting rights. Under BVI law, the memorandum and articles of association may be amended to decrease but not increase the required percentage to call a meeting above 30%. At least ten days’ and not more than 120 days’ notice of such meeting is required. A meeting of shareholders held in contravention of this notice requirement is valid if shareholders holding not less than a 90% majority of the total number of ordinary shares entitled to vote on all matters to be considered at the meeting have waived notice of the meeting and for this purpose presence at the meeting is deemed to constitute a waiver. A majority of the shares entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or by proxy, forms a quorum.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association establish advance notice procedures with respect to shareholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the board of directors or a committee of the board of directors. However, our memorandum and articles of association may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. Any proposed business other than the nomination of persons for election to our board of directors must constitute a proper matter for shareholder action pursuant to the notice of meeting delivered to us. For notice to be timely, it must be received by our secretary not later than 90 nor earlier than 120 calendar days prior to the first anniversary of the previous year’s annual meeting (or if the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than 30 calendar days or delayed by more than 60 calendar days from such anniversary date, not later than 90 nor earlier than 120 calendar days prior to such meeting or the 10th calendar day after public disclosure of the date of such meeting is first made). These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of votes from other shareholders to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association provide that we will hold an annual shareholders’ meeting during each fiscal year, as required by the rules of the New York Stock Exchange.

 

Dividends - Subject to the BVI Act and our memorandum and articles of association, our directors may declare dividends at a time and amount they think fit if they are satisfied, on reasonable grounds, that, immediately after distribution of the dividend, the value of our assets will exceed our liabilities and we will be able to pay our debts as they fall due. There is no further BVI restriction on the amount of funds which may be distributed by us by dividend, including all amounts paid by way of the subscription price for shares regardless of whether such amounts may be wholly or partially treated as share capital or share premium under certain accounting principles. Shareholder approval is not required to pay dividends under BVI law. No dividend shall carry interest against us.

 

Rights of Non-Resident or Foreign Shareholders and Disclosure of Substantial Shareholdings - There are no limitations imposed by our memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in our memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must be disclosed.

 

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Untraceable Shareholders - Under our memorandum and articles of association, we are entitled to sell any shares of a shareholder who is untraceable, as long as: (a) all checks, not being less than three in total number, for any sums payable in cash to the holder of such shares have remained uncashed for a period of 12 years; (b) we have not during that time or before the expiry of the three-month period referred to in (c) below received any indication of the existence of the shareholder or person entitled to such shares by death, bankruptcy or operation of law; and (c) upon expiration of the 12-year period, we have caused an advertisement to be published in newspapers, giving notice of our intention to sell these shares, and a period of three months or such shorter period has elapsed since the date of such advertisement. The net proceeds of any such sale shall belong to us, and when we receive these net proceeds we shall become indebted to the former shareholder for an amount equal to such net proceeds.

 

Transfer of Shares - Subject to any applicable restrictions set forth in our memorandum and articles of association, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or in any other form which our directors may approve. Our memorandum and articles of association also state that shares may be transferred by means of a system utilized for the purposes of holding and transferring ordinary shares, or a “Relevant System,” and that the operator of the Relevant System (and any other person necessary to ensure the Relevant System is effective to transfer Shares) shall act as agent of the Shareholders for the purposes of the transfer of any Shares transferred by means of the Relevant System.

 

Anti-takeover Provisions - Some provisions of our memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including but not limited to provisions that:

 

· authorize our board of directors without shareholder approval to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preferred shares by amending the memorandum and articles of association;

 

· require advance notice requirements from shareholders nominating directors for election at a shareholder meeting;

 

· prohibit shareholders from acting by written consent;

 

· prohibit shareholders from cumulating votes in the election of directors; and

 

· enable directors to be removed by shareholders only for cause.

 

Summary of Certain Significant Provisions of BVI Law

 

As noted below, the BVI Act differs from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of some of the other significant provisions of the BVI Act applicable to us.

 

Mergers, Consolidations and Similar Arrangements - The BVI Act provides for mergers as that expression is understood under U.S. corporate law. Under the BVI Act, two or more companies may either merge into one of such existing companies, or the surviving company, or consolidate with both existing companies ceasing to exist and forming a new company, or the consolidated company. The procedure for a merger or consolidation between the company and another company (which need not be a BVI company, and which may be the company's parent, but need not be) is set out in the BVI Act. The directors of the BVI company or BVI companies which are to merge or consolidate must approve a written plan of merger or consolidation which must also be approved by a resolution of a majority of the shareholders who are entitled to vote and actually vote at a quorate meeting of shareholders or by written resolution of the shareholders of the BVI company or BVI companies which are to merge. A foreign company which is able under the laws of its foreign jurisdiction to participate in the merger or consolidation is required by the BVI Act to comply with the laws of that foreign jurisdiction in relation to the merger or consolidation. The company must then execute articles of merger or consolidation, containing certain prescribed details. The plan and articles of merger or consolidation are then filed with the Registrar of Corporate Affairs in the BVI, or the Registrar. The Registrar then registers the articles of merger or consolidation and any amendment to the memorandum and articles of the surviving company in a merger or the memorandum and articles of association of the new consolidated company in a consolidation and issue a certificate of merger or consolidation (which is conclusive evidence of compliance with all requirements of the BVI Act in respect of the merger or consolidation). The merger is effective on the date that the articles of merger are registered with the Registrar or on such subsequent date, not exceeding thirty days, as is stated in the articles of merger or consolidation.

 

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As soon as a merger becomes effective: (a) the surviving company or consolidated company (so far as is consistent with its amended memorandum and articles, as amended or established by the articles of merger or consolidation) has all rights, privileges, immunities, powers, objects and purposes of each of the constituent companies; (b) the amended memorandum and articles of any surviving company are automatically amended to the extent, if any, that changes to its amended memorandum and articles are contained in the articles of merger; (c) assets of every description, including choses-in-action and the business of each of the constituent companies, immediately vest in the surviving company or consolidated company; (d) the surviving company or consolidated company is liable for all claims, debts, liabilities and obligations of each of the constituent companies; (e) no conviction, judgment, ruling, order, claim, debt, liability or obligation due or to become due, and no cause existing, against a constituent company or against any shareholder, director, officer or agent thereof, is released or impaired by the merger; and (f) no proceedings, whether civil or criminal, pending at the time of a merger by or against a constituent company, or against any shareholder, director, officer or agent thereof, are abated or discontinued by the merger; but: (i) the proceedings may be enforced, prosecuted, settled or compromised by or against the surviving company or consolidated company or against the shareholder, director, officer or agent thereof; as the case may be; or (ii) the surviving company or consolidated company may be substituted in the proceedings for a constituent company.

 

The Registrar shall strike off the register of companies each constituent company that is not the surviving company in the case of a merger and all constituent companies in the case of a consolidation.

 

If the directors determine it to be in the best interests of the company, it is also possible for a merger to be approved as a court approved plan of arrangement or scheme or arrangement in accordance with the BVI Act. The convening of the necessary shareholders meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be authorized by the BVI court. A scheme of arrangement requires the approval of 75% of the shareholders of each class who vote in person or by proxy at meetings of the holders of each class. If the effect of the scheme is different in relation to different shareholders, it may be necessary for them to vote separately in relation to the scheme, with it being required to secure the requisite approval level of each separate voting group. Under a plan of arrangement, a BVI court may determine what shareholder approvals are required and the manner of obtaining the approval.

 

Continuation into a Jurisdiction Outside the BVI - The BVI Act and our memorandum and articles of association provide that the company may by a resolution of directors or by a resolution of shareholders continue as a company incorporated under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the BVI in the manner provided under those laws. Where a company is continued under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the BVI, (a) the company continues to be liable for all of its claims, debts, liabilities and obligations that existed prior to its continuation, (b) no conviction, judgment, ruling, order, claim, debt, liability or obligation due or to become due, and no cause existing, against the company or against any shareholder, director, officer or agent thereof, is released or impaired by its continuation as a company under the laws of the jurisdiction outside the BVI, (c) no proceedings, whether civil or criminal, pending by or against the company, or against any shareholder, director, officer or agent thereof, are abated or discontinued by its continuation as a company under the laws of the jurisdiction outside the BVI, but the proceedings may be enforced, prosecuted, settled or compromised by or against the company or against the shareholder, director, officer or agent thereof, as the case may be; and (d) service of process may continue to be effected on the registered agent of the company in the BVI in respect of any claim, debt, liability or obligation of the company during its existence as a company under the BVI Act.

 

Poison Pill Defenses - Under the BVI Act, there are no provisions which specifically prevent the issuance of preferred shares or any such other "poison pill" measures. The memorandum and articles of association of the company authorize the directors to issue preferred shares. Therefore, the directors without the approval of the holders of ordinary shares may issue preferred shares that have characteristics that may be deemed to be anti-takeover. Additionally, such a designation of shares may be used in connection with plans that are poison pill plans. However, as noted above under the BVI Act, a director in the exercise of his powers and performance of his duties is required to act honestly and in good faith in what the director believes to be the best interests of the company.

 

Directors - Our directors are appointed by resolution of shareholders to hold office until their successors are elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. The directors may by resolution of directors appoint a replacement director to fill a casual vacancy arising on the removal, resignation, disqualification or death of any director or to fill newly created vacancies resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors.

 

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Our memorandum and articles of association prohibit cumulative voting for such elections.

 

There are no share ownership qualifications for directors.

 

Meetings of our board of directors may be convened at any time deemed necessary by any of our directors. A meeting of our board of directors will be competent to make lawful and binding decisions if at least a majority of the directors are present or represented. At any meeting of our directors, each director, whether by his or her presence or by his or her alternate, is entitled to one vote. Questions arising at a meeting of our board of directors are required to be decided by simple majority votes of the directors present or represented at the meeting. In the case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or deciding vote. Our board of directors also may pass resolutions without a meeting by unanimous written consent.

 

Indemnification of Directors - Our memorandum and articles of association provide that, subject to certain limitations, the company may indemnify its directors and officers against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings.

 

Such indemnification may only take place if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that their conduct was unlawful. The decision of the directors as to whether the person acted honestly and in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the company and as to whether the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful is, in the absence of fraud, sufficient for the purposes of the memorandum and articles of association, unless a question of law is involved. The termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement, conviction or the entering of a nolle prosequi does not, by itself, create a presumption that the person did not act honestly and in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the company or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

Directors and Conflicts of Interest - Pursuant to the BVI Act and the company's memorandum and articles of association, a director of a company who has an interest in a transaction and who has declared such interest to the other directors, may:

 

a) vote on a matter relating to the transaction;

 

b) attend a meeting of directors at which a matter relating to the transaction arises and be included among the directors present at the meeting for the purposes of a quorum; and

 

c) sign a document on behalf of the company, or do any other thing in his capacity as a director, that relates to the transaction.

 

Shareholders' Suits - The enforcement of the company's rights will ordinarily be a matter for its directors.

 

In certain limited circumstances, a shareholder has the right to seek various remedies against the company in the event the directors are in breach of their duties under the BVI Act. Pursuant to Section 184B of the BVI Act, if a company or director of a company engages in, or proposes to engage in, conduct that contravenes the provisions of the BVI Act or the memorandum or articles of association of the company, the BVI Court may, on application of a shareholder or director of the company, make an order directing the company or director to comply with, or restraining the company or director from engaging in conduct that contravenes the BVI Act or the memorandum or articles.

 

Furthermore, pursuant to section 184I(1) of the BVI Act a shareholder of a company who considers that the affairs of the company have been, are being or are likely to be, conducted in a manner that is, or any acts of the company have been, or are likely to be oppressive, unfairly discriminatory, or unfairly prejudicial to him in that capacity, may apply to the BVI Court for an order which, inter alia, can require the company or any other person to pay compensation to the shareholders.

 

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The BVI Act provides for a series of remedies available to shareholders. Where a company incorporated under the BVI Act conducts some activity which breaches the BVI Act or the company's memorandum and articles of association, the court can issue a restraining or compliance order. Under the BVI Act, a shareholder of a company may bring an action against the company for breach of a duty owed by the company to him as a shareholder. A shareholder also may, with the permission of the BVI court, bring an action or intervene in a matter in the name of the company, in certain circumstances. Such actions are known as derivative actions. As noted above, the BVI court may only grant permission to bring a derivative action where the following circumstances apply:

 

· the company does not intend to bring, diligently continue or defend or discontinue proceedings; and

 

· it is in the interests of the company that the conduct of the proceedings not be left to the directors or to the determination of the shareholders as a whole.

 

When considering whether to grant leave, the BVI court is also required to have regard to the following matters:

 

· whether the shareholder is acting in good faith;

 

· whether a derivative action is in the company's best interests, taking into account the directors' views on commercial matters;

 

· whether the action is likely to proceed;

 

· the costs of the proceedings; and

 

· whether an alternative remedy is available.

 

Any shareholder of a company may apply to BVI court under the Insolvency Act, 2003 of the BVI, or the Insolvency Act, for the appointment of a liquidator to liquidate the company and the court may appoint a liquidator for the company if it is of the opinion that it is just and equitable to do so.

 

Appraisal Rights - The BVI Act provides that any shareholder of a company is entitled to payment of the fair value of his shares upon dissenting from any of the following: (a) a merger if the company is a constituent company, unless the company is the surviving company and the shareholder continues to hold the same or similar shares; (b) a consolidation if the company is a constituent company; (c) any sale, transfer, lease, exchange or other disposition of more than 50% in value of the assets or business of the company if not made in the usual or regular course of the business carried on by the company but not including: (i) a disposition pursuant to an order of the court having jurisdiction in the matter, (ii) a disposition for money on terms requiring all or substantially all net proceeds to be distributed to the shareholders in accordance with their respective interest within one year after the date of disposition, or (iii) a transfer pursuant to the power of the directors to transfer assets for the protection thereof; (d) a compulsory redemption of 10%, or fewer of the issued shares of the company required by the holders of 90%, or more of the shares of the company pursuant to the terms of the Act; and (e) an arrangement, if permitted by the BVI court.

 

Generally any other claims against a company by its shareholders must be based on the general laws of contract or tort applicable in the BVI or their individual rights as shareholders as established by the company's memorandum and articles of association. There are common law rights for the protection of shareholders that may be invoked, largely derived from English common law. Under the general English company law known as the rule in Foss v. Harbottle, a court will generally refuse to interfere with the management of a company at the insistence of a minority of its shareholders who express dissatisfaction with the conduct of the company's affairs by the majority or the board of directors. However, every shareholder is entitled to seek to have the affairs of the company conducted properly according to law and the constituent documents of the corporation. As such, if those who control the company have persistently disregarded the requirements of company law or the provisions of the company's memorandum and articles of association, then the courts may grant relief. Generally, the areas in which the courts will intervene are the following:

 

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· a company is acting or proposing to act illegally or beyond the scope of its authority;

 

· the act complained of, although not beyond the scope of the authority, could only be effected if duly authorized by more than the number of votes which have actually been obtained;

 

· the individual rights of the plaintiff shareholder have been infringed or are about to be infringed; or

 

· those who control the company are perpetrating a "fraud on the minority."

 

Share Repurchases and Redemptions - As permitted by the BVI Act and our memorandum and articles of association, shares may be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired by us. Depending on the circumstances of the redemption or repurchase, our directors may need to determine that immediately following the redemption or repurchase we will be able to satisfy our debts as they fall due and the value of our assets exceeds our liabilities. Our directors may only exercise this power on our behalf, subject to the BVI Act, our memorandum and articles of association and to any applicable requirements imposed from time to time by the SEC, the New York Stock Exchange or any other stock exchange on which our securities are listed.

 

Inspection of Books and Records - Under the BVI Act, shareholders of the general public, on payment of a nominal fee, can obtain copies of the public records of a company available at the office of the Registrar which will include the company's certificate of incorporation, its memorandum and articles of association (with any amendments) and records of license fees paid to date and will also disclose any articles of dissolution, articles of merger and a register of charges given by the company if the company has elected to file such a register.

 

Under the BVI Act, a shareholder of a BVI company is entitled, on giving written notice to the company, to inspect:

 

a) the memorandum and articles of association;

 

b) the register of shareholders;

 

c) the register of directors; and

 

d) the minutes of meetings and resolutions of shareholders and of those classes of shares of which he is a shareholder.

 

In addition, a shareholder may make copies of or take extracts from the documents and records referred to in a) through d) above.

 

However, subject to the memorandum and articles of association, the directors may, if they are satisfied that it would be contrary to the company's interests to allow a shareholder to inspect any document, or part of any document, specified in b), c) or d) above, refuse to permit the shareholder to inspect the document or limit the inspection of the document, including limiting the making of copies or the taking of extracts from the records.

 

Where a company fails or refuses to permit a shareholder to inspect a document or permits a shareholder to inspect a document subject to limitations, that shareholder may apply to the court for an order that he should be permitted to inspect the document or to inspect the document without limitation.

 

Dissolution; Winding Up - As permitted by the BVI Act and our memorandum and articles of association, we may be voluntarily liquidated under Part XII of the BVI Act by resolution of directors and resolution of shareholders if we have no liabilities or we are able to pay our debts as they fall due.

 

We also may be wound up in circumstances where we are insolvent in accordance with the terms of the Insolvency Act.

 

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Anti-Money Laundering Laws - In order to comply with legislation or regulations aimed at the prevention of money laundering we are required to adopt and maintain anti-money laundering procedures, and may require subscribers to provide evidence to verify their identity. Where permitted, and subject to certain conditions, we also may delegate the maintenance of our anti-money laundering procedures (including the acquisition of due diligence information) to a suitable person. We reserve the right to request such information as is necessary to verify the identity of a subscriber. In the event of delay or failure on the part of the subscriber in producing any information required for verification purposes, we may refuse to accept the application, in which case any funds received will be returned without interest to the account from which they were originally debited.

 

If any person resident in the BVI knows or suspects that another person is engaged in money laundering or terrorist financing and the information for that knowledge or suspicion came to their attention in the course of their business the person will be required to report his belief or suspicion to the Financial Investigation Agency of the BVI, pursuant to the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act 1997 (as amended). Such a report shall not be treated as a breach of confidence or of any restriction upon the disclosure of information imposed by any enactment or otherwise.

 

Exchange controls - We know of no BVI laws, decrees, regulations or other legislation that limit the import or export of capital or the payment of dividends to shareholders holders who do not reside in the BVI.

 

Material Differences in BVI Law and our Memorandum and Articles of Association and Delaware Law

 

Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association and the provisions of applicable BVI law, including the BVI Act and BVI common law. The BVI Act differs from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their stockholders. The following table provides a comparison between certain statutory provisions of the BVI Act (together with the provisions of our memorandum and articles of association) and the Delaware General Corporation Law relating to shareholders' rights.

 

BVI   Delaware
Shareholder Meetings
   
Held at a time and place as determined by the directors   May be held at such time or place as designated in the charter or the by-laws, or if not so designated, as determined by the board of directors
     
May be held inside or outside the BVI   May be held inside or outside Delaware
     
Under our memorandum and articles of association, a copy of the notice of any meeting shall be given not fewer than ten days and not more than 120 days before the date of the proposed meeting to those persons whose names appear in the register of shareholders on the date the notice is given and are entitled to vote at the meeting.   Whenever shareholders are required to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given which shall state the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, and the means of remote communication, if any
     
Shareholder’s Voting Rights  
   
Any person authorized to vote may be represented at a meeting by a proxy who may speak and vote on behalf of the shareholder   Any person authorized to vote may authorize another person or persons to act for him by proxy
     
Quorum is fixed by our memorandum and articles of association, to consist of the holder or holders present in person or by proxy entitled to exercise at least a majority in aggregate of the voting rights of the classes or series of shares entitled to vote as a class or series thereon   The charter or bylaws may specify the number to constitute a quorum but in no event shall a quorum consist of less than one-third of shares entitled to vote at a meeting. In the absence of such specifications, a majority of shares shall constitute a quorum

 

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Under our memorandum and articles of association, subject to any rights or restrictions attached to any shares, at any general meeting on a show of hands every shareholder who is present in person (or, in the case of a shareholder being a corporation, by its duly authorized representative) or by proxy shall have one vote and on a poll every shareholder present in person (or, in the case of a shareholder being a corporation, by its duly appointed representative) or by proxy shall have one vote for each share which such shareholder is the holder. Voting at any meeting of the shareholders is by show of hands unless a poll is demanded. A poll may be demanded by shareholders present in person or by proxy if the shareholder disputes the outcome of the vote on a proposed resolution and the chairman shall cause a poll to be taken.    
     
Changes in the rights attaching to any class of shares as set forth in the memorandum and articles of association require approval of not less than a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of that class who are entitled to attend and vote at the meeting of the class, except where a greater percentage is required under our memorandum and articles of association or the BVI Act, provided that for these purposes the creation, designation or issue of preferred shares with rights and privileges ranking in priority or equal to an existing class of preferred or ordinary shares shall be deemed not to be a variation of the rights of such existing class.   Except as provided in the charter documents, changes in the rights of shareholders as set forth in the charter documents require approval of a majority of its shareholders
     
Our memorandum and articles of association prohibit cumulative voting in the election of directors   The memorandum and articles of association may provide for cumulative voting
     
All other matters to be decided upon by the shareholders require a majority vote of shareholders who being so entitled attend and vote at the general meeting, unless the BVI Act requires a higher majority. Our memorandum and articles of association also may be amended by resolution of directors without shareholder approval, including to create the rights, preferences, designations and limitations attaching to any blank check preferred shares.    
     
Directors  
   
Board must consist of at least one member   Board must consist of at least one member
     
Maximum and minimum number of directors can be changed by a resolution of directors   Number of board members shall be fixed by the by-laws, unless the charter fixes the number of directors, in which case a Change in the number shall be made only by amendment of the charter
     
Directors are appointed by resolution of shareholders to hold office until their successors are elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. The directors may by resolution of directors appoint a replacement director to fill a casual vacancy arising on the removal, resignation, disqualification or death of any director or to fill newly created vacancies resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors (as described under “Directors” above). However, the directors may by resolution appoint a replacement director to fill a casual vacancy arising on the resignation, disqualification or death of a director. The replacement director will then hold office until the next annual general meeting    

 

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Directors do not have to be independent   Directors do not have to be independent
     
Fiduciary Duties  
   
Directors and officers owe fiduciary duties at both common law and under statute as follows:   Directors and officers must act in good faith, with the care of a prudent person, and in the best interest of the corporation.
     
Duty to act honestly and in good faith in what the director believes to be in the best interests of the company;   Directors and officers must refrain from self-dealing, usurping corporate opportunities and receiving improper personal benefits.
     
Duty to exercise powers for a proper purpose and directors shall not act, or agree to act, in a matter that contravenes the BVI Act or the memorandum and articles of association;    
     

Duty to exercise the care, diligence and skill that a responsible director would exercise in the circumstances taking into account, without limitation:

 

·      the nature of the company;

 

·      the nature of the decision; and

 

·      the position of the director and the nature of the responsibilities undertaken by him.

   
     
The BVI Act provides that, a director of a company shall, immediately after becoming aware of the fact that he is interested in a transaction entered into, or to be entered into, by the company, discloses the interest to the board of the company. However, the failure of a director to disclose that interest does not affect the validity of a transaction entered into by the director or the company, so long as the transaction was not required to be disclosed because the transaction is between the company and the director himself and is in the ordinary course of business and on usual terms and conditions. Additionally, the failure of a director to disclose an interest does not affect the validity of the transaction entered into by the company if (a) the material facts of the interest of the director in the transaction are known by the shareholders and the transaction is approved or ratified by a resolution of shareholders entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders or (b) the company received fair value for the transaction.   Directors may vote on a matter in which they have an interest so long as the director has disclosed any interests in the transaction.
     

Pursuant to the BVI Act, and the company’s memorandum and articles of association, so long as a director has disclosed any interests in a transaction entered into or to be entered into by the company to the board he/she may:

 

·      vote on a matter relating to the transaction;

 

·      attend a meeting of directors at which a matter relating to the transaction arises and be included among the directors present at the meeting for the purposes of a quorum; and

  Directors may vote on a matter in which they have an interest so long as the director has disclosed any interests in the transaction.

 

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·      sign a document on behalf of the company, or do any other thing in his capacity as a director, that relates to the transaction.    
   
Shareholder’s Derivative Actions  
   
Generally speaking, the company is the proper plaintiff in any action. A shareholder may, with the permission of the BVI court, bring an action or intervene in a matter in the name of the company, in certain circumstances. Such actions are known as derivative actions. The BVI court may only grant permission to bring a derivative action where the following circumstances apply:   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 stockholder’s stock thereafter devolved upon such stockholder by operation of law.
     
·      the company does not intend to bring, diligently continue or defend or discontinue the proceedings; and   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.
     
·      it is in the interests of the company that the conduct of the proceedings not be left to the directors or to the determination of the shareholders as a whole.   Such action shall not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the Chancery Court.
     

When considering whether to grant leave, the BVI Court is also required to have regard to the following matters:

 

·      whether the shareholder is acting in good faith;

 

·      whether a derivative action is in the interests of the company, taking into account the directors’ views on commercial matters;

 

·      whether the action is likely to succeed;

 

·      the costs of the proceedings in relation to the relief likely to be obtained; and

 

·      whether another alternative remedy to the derivative action is available.

  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 ordinary shares have been cancelled.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

 

We may issue warrants for the purchase of ordinary shares, preferred shares or debt securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with any offered securities. The warrants may be attached to or separate from those offered securities. We will issue the warrants under one or more warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a warrant agent to be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

 

The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants that we may offer will contain the specific terms of the warrants. These terms may include the following:

 

· the title of the warrants;

 

· the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued;

 

· the designation, amount and terms of the securities for which the warrants are exercisable;

 

· the designation and terms of the other securities, if any, with which the warrants are to be issued and the number of warrants issued with each other security;

 

· the aggregate number of warrants;

 

· any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the warrants or the exercise price of the warrants;

 

· the price or prices at which the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;

 

· if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable;

 

· a discussion of any material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the warrants;

 

· the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire;

 

· the maximum or minimum number of warrants that may be exercised at any time;

 

· information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; and

 

· any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.

 

Exercise of Warrants

 

Each warrant will entitle the holder of the warrant to purchase for cash the amount of ordinary shares, preferred shares or debt securities at the exercise price stated or determinable in the applicable prospectus supplement for the warrants. Warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date shown in the applicable prospectus supplement, unless otherwise specified in such prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void. Warrants may be exercised as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. When the warrant holder makes the payment and properly completes and signs the warrant certificate at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as possible, forward the ordinary shares, preferred shares or debt securities that the warrant holder has purchased. If the warrant holder exercises the warrant for less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining warrants.

 

The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any warrants we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable warrant agreement and warrant certificate, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer warrants. For more information on how you can obtain copies of any warrant certificate or warrant agreement if we offer warrants, see “Where You Can Find More Information”. We urge you to read the applicable warrant certificate, the applicable warrant agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

 

We may issue subscription rights to purchase ordinary shares, preferred shares, debt securities or other securities of the Company. We may issue subscription rights independently or together with any other offered security, which may or may not be transferable by the securityholder. In connection with any offering of subscription rights, we may enter into a standby arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.

 

The prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights we may offer will contain the specific terms of the subscription rights. These terms may include the following:

 

· the price, if any, for the subscription rights;

 

· the exercise price payable for each ordinary share, preferred share, debt securities or other securities upon the exercise of the subscription rights;

 

· the number of subscription rights issued to each securityholder;

 

· the number and terms of each ordinary share, preferred share, debt securities or other securities which may be purchased per each subscription right;

 

· the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable;

 

· any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the subscription rights or the exercise price of the subscription rights;

 

· any other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights;

 

· the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights shall commence, and the date on which the subscription rights shall expire;

 

· the extent to which the subscription rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; and

 

· if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights.

 

The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any subscription rights we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable subscription rights certificate or subscription rights agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer subscription rights. For more information on how you can obtain copies of any subscription rights certificate or subscription rights agreement if we offer subscription rights, see “Where You Can Find More Information”. We urge you to read the applicable subscription rights certificate, the applicable subscription rights agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

 

As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of one or more debt securities, ordinary shares, preferred shares, warrants, subscription rights or any combination of such securities. In addition, the prospectus supplement relating to units will describe the terms of any units we issue, including as applicable:

 

· the designation and terms of the units and the securities included in the units;

 

· any provision for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units;

 

· the date, if any, on and after which the units may be transferred separately;

 

· whether we will apply to have the units traded on a securities exchange or securities quotation system;

 

· any material United States federal income tax consequences; and

 

· how, for United States federal income tax purposes, the purchase price paid for the units is to be allocated among the component securities.

 

The description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any units we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable unit certificate or unit agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of any unit certificate or unit agreement if we offer units, see “Where You Can Find More Information”. We urge you to read the applicable unit certificate, the applicable unit agreement and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.

 

  23  

 

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We may offer and sell the securities being offered hereby in one or more of the following ways from time to time:

 

· to underwriters or dealers for resale to the public or to institutional investors;

 

· directly to institutional investors;

 

· directly to a limited number of purchasers or to a single purchaser;

 

· through agents to the public or to institutional investors; or

 

· through a combination of any of these methods of sale.

 

The prospectus supplement with respect to each series of securities will state the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

 

· the offering terms, including the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents;

 

· the purchase price of the securities and the net proceeds to be received by us from the sale;

 

· any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

· any public offering price;

 

· any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and

 

· any securities exchange on which the securities may be listed.

 

If we use underwriters or dealers in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters or dealers for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including:

 

· privately negotiated transactions;

 

· at a fixed public offering price or prices, which may be changed;

 

· in “at the market offerings” within the meaning of Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act;

 

· at prices related to prevailing market prices; or

 

· at negotiated prices.

 

Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

 

If underwriters are used in the sale of any securities, the securities may be offered either to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by underwriters. Generally, the underwriters’ obligations to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities if they purchase any of the securities.

 

  24  

 

 

If indicated in an applicable prospectus supplement, we may sell the securities through agents from time to time. The applicable prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and any commissions we pay to them. Generally, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. We may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The delayed delivery contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and the applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we pay for solicitation of these delayed delivery contracts.

 

Offered securities may also be offered and sold, if so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, in connection with a remarketing upon their purchase, in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to their terms, or otherwise, by one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. Any remarketing firm will be identified and the terms of its agreements, if any, with us and its compensation will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Agents, underwriters and other third parties described above may be entitled to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribution with respect to payments which the agents or underwriters may be required to make in respect thereof. Agents, underwriters and such other third parties may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

 

Each series of securities will be a new issue of securities and will have no established trading market, other than our ordinary stock, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement any ordinary sold will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, upon official notice of issuance. The securities other than the ordinary shares may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange and no assurance can be given that there will be a secondary market for any such securities or liquidity in the secondary market if one develops. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice.

 

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TAXATION

 

The material BVI and U.S. federal 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 prospectus supplement offering those securities.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

Certain matters of U.S. federal and New York law will be passed upon for us by Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, New York. Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, certain legal matters with respect to the laws of the British Virgin Islands will be passed upon for us by Walkers, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

 

EXPERTS

 

Our audited consolidated financial statements in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been included in reliance upon the report of ASA & Associates LLP, independent registered public accountants, upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing in giving said report.

 

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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

 

Amira is incorporated in the BVI and our primary operating subsidiary, Amira India, 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 the BVI 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 the BVI 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 BVI court where it would be contrary to public policy in the BVI 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, no claim may be brought in the BVI 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 BVI or Indian law and do not have force of law in the BVI or India.

 

In addition to and irrespective of jurisdictional issues, neither the BVI 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 BVI or Indian courts. An award of punitive damages under a U.S. court judgment based upon U.S. federal securities law is likely to be construed by BVI and Indian courts to be penal in nature and therefore unenforceable in both the BVI and India. Specified remedies available under the laws of U.S. jurisdictions, including specified remedies under U.S. federal securities laws, would not be available under BVI or Indian law or enforceable in a BVI or Indian court, if they are considered to be contrary to BVI or Indian public policy (as the case may be).

 

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 Government of India 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.

 

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India is not a signatory to the "Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters" or any other international treaty in relation to the recognition or enforcement of foreign judgments. Section 44A of the Civil Code provides that where a foreign judgment has been rendered by a superior court in any country or territory outside India which the Government of India has declared to be a reciprocating territory, it may be enforced in India as if the judgment had been rendered in India. The United States has not been declared by the Government of India to be a reciprocating territory for the purposes of Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code. 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. 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. 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.

 

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, or FEMA, 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.

 

There is no statutory enforcement in the BVI of judgments obtained in the United States; however, the courts of the BVI will in certain circumstances recognize such a foreign judgment and treat it as a cause of action in itself which may be sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary provided that:

 

· the U.S. court issuing the judgment had jurisdiction in the matter and the company either submitted to such jurisdiction or was resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and was duly served with process;

 

· is final and for a liquidated sum;

 

· the judgment given by the U.S. court was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or revenue obligations of the company;

 

· in obtaining judgment there was no fraud on the part of the person in whose favor judgment was given or on the part of the court;

 

· recognition and enforcement of the judgment in the BVI would not be contrary to public policy; and

 

· the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice.

 

In appropriate circumstances, the BVI court may give effect in the BVI to other kinds of final foreign judgments such as declaratory orders, orders for performance of contracts and injunctions.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

The documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus are available from us upon request. We will provide a copy of any and all of the information that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, without charge, upon written or oral request. If you would like to obtain this information from us, please direct your request, either in writing or by telephone, to:

 

Bruce Wacha
Chief Financial Officer
12 East 52nd Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: +1-646-779-1984

 

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We are subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to foreign private issuers and will fulfill the obligations with respect to those requirements by filing reports with the SEC. These periodic reports and other information may be inspected and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F. Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of these materials can also be obtained by mail at prescribed rates from the Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F. Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding the Company and other issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the SEC internet site is www.sec.gov . This information is also available on our website at www.amira.net .

 

As a foreign private issuer, we will be exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements, and our officers, directors and principal shareholders will be exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act relating to their purchases and sales of ordinary shares. In addition, we will not be required under the Exchange Act to file annual, quarterly and current reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as United States companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. However, we intend to file with the SEC, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year, an annual report on Form 20-F containing financial statements audited by an independent public accounting firm. We also intend to furnish a semi-annual report on Form 6-K containing unaudited interim financial information for the first half of each fiscal year.

 

INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

 

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus, and any accompanying prospectus supplement, the information we have filed with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information by referring you to those 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 deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents and will automatically update and supersede previously filed information, including information contained in this document.

 

We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement the following documents that we have filed with the SEC:

 

· Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, filed with the SEC on July 31, 2017; and

 

· Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on October 4, 2012.

 

Copies of these filings are available free of charge by writing to Amira Foods Inc, Attention: Bruce Wacha, Chief Financial Officer, 12 East 52nd Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

 

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 between the date that we initially file the registration statement to which this prospectus relates and the termination of the offering of the securities (if they state that they are incorporated by reference into this prospectus). In all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information included in this prospectus.

 

Any statement made in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract, agreement or other document is only a summary of the actual document. You may obtain a copy of any document summarized in this prospectus at no cost by writing to or telephoning us at the address and telephone number given above. Each statement regarding a contract, agreement or other document is qualified in its entirety by reference to the actual document.

 

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PART II. INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM 8. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association provide that, subject to certain limitations, the company may indemnify its directors and officers against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings. Such indemnification may only take place if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that their conduct was unlawful. The decision of the directors as to whether the person acted honestly and in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the company and as to whether the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful and is, in the absence of fraud, sufficient for the purposes of the memorandum and articles of association, unless a question of law is involved. The termination of any proceedings by any judgment, order, settlement, conviction or the entering of a nolle prosequi does not, by itself, create a presumption that the person did not act honestly and in good faith and with a view to the best interests of the company or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

 

We have entered, and expect to continue to enter, into agreements to indemnify our directors, executive officers and other employees as determined by our board of directors. With specified exceptions, these agreements provide for indemnification for related expenses including, among other things, attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any of these individuals in any action or proceeding. We believe that the provisions in our memorandum and articles of association, indemnification agreements, and officers' and directors' liability insurance described in further detail below are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.

 

Our memorandum and articles of association permit us to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any officer or director who at the request of the company is or was serving as a director or officer of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in that capacity, whether or not the company has or would have had the power to indemnify the person against the liability as provided in the memorandum and articles of association. We maintain standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (1) to our directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act, and (2) to the registrant with respect to payments which may be made by the registrant to such officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.

 

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 theretofore unenforceable.

 

ITEM 9. EXHIBITS.

 

The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated by reference herein:

 

1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement**
4.1 Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association(1)
4.2 Certificate of Name Change(1)
4.3 Specimen Preferred Share Certificate and Form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights with respect to any series of Preferred Shares issued hereunder**
4.5 Form of Indenture*
4.6 Form of Subscription Rights Agreement**
4.7 Form of Warrant Agreement**
4.8 Form of Share Purchase Contract**
4.9 Form of Unit Agreement**
5.1 Opinion of Walkers*
5.2 Opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP*
12.1 Statement regarding Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges*
23.1 Consent of ASA Associates LLP*

 

  II- 1  

 

 

23.2 Consent of Walkers (included in Exhibit 5.1)*
23.3 Consent of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2)*
24.1 Power of Attorney of certain directors and officers of the Registrant (included in signature page of this Registration Statement)*
25.1 Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of designated trustee under the Indenture**

 

 

* Filed herewith
** To be filed by amendment to the Registration Statement or incorporated by reference from documents filed or to be filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act.
(1) Incorporated by reference to the Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 29, 2012 (File No.: 333-183612).

 

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 of 1933, as amended (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 the 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 Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20-percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

 

(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), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form F-3 and 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the 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.

 

  II- 2  

 

 

(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 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, with respect to registration statements on Form F-3, 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 Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Form F-3.

 

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to any purchaser:

 

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424 (b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this 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), or (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

 

  II- 3  

 

 

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

 

(7) 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.

 

(8) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(9) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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.

 

(b) 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.

 

  II- 4  

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe 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 York, New York, on August 2, 2017.

 

  AMIRA NATURE FOODS LTD
     
  By: /s/ Bruce C. Wacha
    Name: Bruce C. Wacha
    Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Karan A. Chanana and Bruce C. Wacha or either of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to sign any related registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462 under the Security Act. and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granted unto said attorney-in-fact and agents, full power and authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing required and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their substitutes or substitutes, could 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 indicated on August 2, 2017.

 

/s/ Karan A. Chanana   Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director
Karan A. Chanana   (Principal Executive Officer)
     
/s/ Bruce C. Wacha   Chief Financial Officer and Director
Bruce C. Wacha   (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
     
/s/ Neal Cravens   Director
Neal Cravens    
     
/s/ Shiv Surinder Kumar   Director
Shiv Surinder Kumar    
     
/s/ Harash Pal Sethi   Director
Harash Pal Sethi    

 

Amira I Grand Foods Inc   Authorized Representative In The United States

 

By: /s/ Bruce Wacha    
Name: Bruce Wacha    
Title: Chief Financial Officer    

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated by reference herein:

 

1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement**
4.1 Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association(1)
4.2 Certificate of Name Change(1)
4.3 Specimen Preferred Share Certificate and Form of Certificate of Designation, Preferences and Rights with respect to any series of Preferred Shares issued hereunder**
4.5 Form of Indenture*
4.6 Form of Subscription Rights Agreement**
4.7 Form of Warrant Agreement**
4.8 Form of Share Purchase Contract**
4.9 Form of Unit Agreement**
5.1 Opinion of Walkers*
5.2 Opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP*
12.1 Statement regarding Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges*
23.1 Consent of ASA Associates LLP*
23.2 Consent of Walkers (included in Exhibit 5.1)*
23.3 Consent of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2)*
24.1 Power of Attorney of certain directors and officers of the Registrant (included in signature page of this Registration Statement)*
25.1 Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of designated trustee under the Indenture**

 

 

* Filed herewith
** To be filed by amendment to the Registration Statement or incorporated by reference from documents filed or to be filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act.
(1) Incorporated by reference to the Registration Statement on Form F-1, as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 29, 2012 (File No.: 333-183612).

 

 

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