Analjit Singh buys stake in Swartland-based Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines

NEW DELHI: Billionaire industrialist Analjit Singh has acquired a significant stake in Swartland-based Mullineux Family Wines, which sells some of South Africa's fastest growing wine brands. Last week, Singh, principal promoter of Max India group, bought British investor Keith Prothero's shareholding in the company, which has been renamed Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines. Leeu or lion is Afrikaans for Singh.

Prothero's shares were bought by Leeu International Investments, Singh's South African business entity, which has also acquired farms in the adjoining areas of Franschhoek, Dassenberg, Von Ortloff and Dieu Donne, where the family will develop a luxury resort themed around wine and food.

"This is a private investment by Mr Singh," Hector de Galard, president, business operations at Max Ventures, a privately owned company of the Singh family, told ET. Max Ventures has already launched a hotel and resort business under the Vana brand, which is managed by Singh's son Veer. It will now create a market for the wine in India.

Gelard declined to share financial details of the deal. The winery said in a release that the founders of the business, Chris and Andrea Mullineux, would maintain ownership and operational control, while Peter Dart would remain as shareholder.

Although the South African wine industry faced boycotts during the apartheid era, it's been gaining ground since then and has started to make an impression over the past decade. Stellenbosch has made a name for itself, and Swartland is now becoming better known. The area, 75 km from Cape Town, nestles amid mountains and its varied wines are given their character by the mix of shale, sandstone and granite in the soil.

Andrea and Chris Mullineux set up their wine farm in the area in 2007. Singh's interest in South Africa began during his visits to the country when he was tying up an insurance joint venture with Life Healthcare a few years ago.

Singh's Max Group has interests in life insurance, healthcare, contract research and specialty packaging films.

His company recently ventured into the hospitality sector, launching a wellness resort brand called Vana. Son Veer Singh, 30, is spearheading the company that plans to build and operate lifestyle properties in India and abroad with an initial project outlay of 300 crore. The first of its 90-room resorts is being built on a 21-acre property set amongst sal forests in Dehradun.

Analjit Singh, who is believed to have helped PRS Oberoi fend off ITC's advances toward the Oberoi group of hotels, sold his 4% stake in the group to Reliance Industries in March 2012.

He is also the non-executive chairman of Vodafone India and along with a few other investors holds close to 15% equity in the telecom company that's valued at more than Rs 11,000 crore.