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Milestones

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Thakral Corporation Ltd, listed on the mainboard of the SGX since December 1995, is involved in the distribution business in the consumer electronics sector, as well as strategic property and equity investments.  

Year

Significant Development

1972

Thakral Brothers Limited is incorporated in Osaka, Japan to facilitate the purchasing of textiles in Japan.

1973

Thakral Hong Kong is established to export textiles from Hong Kong to the PRC.

1975

Thakral Brothers Limited also becomes the purchasing office for consumer electronics products in Japan.

1982

Thakral Hong Kong's consumer electronics division is formed for the purpose of distributing products such as VCRs, televisions & calculators for brand names such as Panasonic, Sony and Casio, to customers in Hong Kong and the PRC.

1986

First representative office is set up in Guangzhou, PRC.

1988

A representative office is set up in Beijing, PRC.

1990

Thakral Corporation (HK) Limited is incorporated and it takes over Thakral Hong Kong's business in 1993.

1991

A representative office is set up in Hangzhou, PRC.

1992

 

The Group diversifies into manufacturing and sale of consumer electronic products in the PRC through the establishment of Shanghai Thakral.

1993

The Group establishes a representative office in Shanghai, PRC.

 

Thakral Corporation Singapore Pte Ltd is incorporated in Singapore and Mr Kartar Singh Thakral is appointed as its Executive Director.

 

A joint venture, Chengdu Thakral Electronics Industrial Corpn. Ltd, is incorporated to engage in the manufacture and sale of television sets under the Thakral brand name.

1994

Thakral Corporation Singapore Pte Ltd is converted to a public company and the name is changed to Thakral Corporation Singapore Limited in August.  Subsequently, it undergoes a further name change to Thakral Corporation Ltd ("the Company") in November.

 

Mr Inderbethal Singh Thakral is appointed as Executive Director of the Company.

 

A representative office is set up in Chengdu, PRC. 

1995

A joint-venture, Wujiang Dafa Real Estate Development Co. Ltd., is formed for property development and management services in Wujiang, PRC.

 

A subsidiary, Shanghai Detian Electronics Trading Co. Ltd, is formed in Shanghai for the wholesaling and trading of consumer electronics products.

 

Thakral (Chengdu) Industry & Technology Co. Ltd, a R&D centre, is set up in Chengdu for research into audio and video technologies.

 

Mr Kartar Singh Thakral is appointed as the Chairman of the Board.

 

Mr Natarajan Subramaniam and Mr Lee Ying Cheun are appointed as Non-Executive Directors of the Company.

 

Mr Jasvinder Singh Thakral is appointed as Executive Director of the Company.

 

The Company is listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Stock Exchange in the biggest listing of the year in Singapore, resulting in a market capitalization of over US$400 million (at the initial offer price).

1996

Chengdu Thakral Electronics Industrial Corpn. Ltd opens a new four-storey factory and commences production of colour television sets in Chengdu, PRC under the Thakral brand.

The Company acquires a 19.5% equity stake in Gateway Distriparks Limited and subsequently increases its equity stake to 24.5%.  Gateway Distriparks is a joint venture company set up to provide port related logistics support services in India including operation of container freight stations, container transportation and general and bonded warehousing. 

The Company acquires a 25% stake in First Capital Property Ventures Pte Ltd ("FCPV").  FCPV has a 40% stake in Gurgaon Technology Park Limited, a joint venture company set up to develop a technology park in Gurgaon, Haryana State, India.

 

The Company makes a bonus issue of 533,181,514 of new ordinary shares.

The Company, together with Thakral Holdings Limited, acquires a 50% stake in HY Hotels Units Trust (subsequently renamed to Pacific Century Hotels Unit Trust) and HY Hotels Pty Limited (subsequently renamed to Pacific Century Hotels Pty Limited), for the purpose of purchasing Westend Hotel and Crown Street Hotel in Sydney, Australia.

 

The Company is granted Operational Headquarters status by the Singapore Economic Development Board with effect from 1 April 1996 for a period of 5 years.

 

The Company acquires Hilton on the Park Hotel in Melbourne through its 50% jointly controlled trust with Thakral Holdings Ltd.

1997

Mr Sanjib Sengupta is appointed as the Group Internal Auditor.

 

The Company increases its shareholding in its associated company, Wujiang Dafa Real Estate Development Co Ltd, to 45%.

1998

The Company acquires a new Hong Kong incorporated subsidiary for the purpose of distributing home entertainment software such as VCDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs, and changes the subsidiary's name to Thakral Home Entertainment Limited.

 

 

A new subsidiary is established in Guangzhou for the purpose of research and development into all kinds of consumer electronics products such as optical disc players and personal computers, as well as to manufacture and sell related parts.

 

The Company and LSI Logic Corporation form a strategic alliance to co-develop the first Digital Video Disk (DVD) player manufacturing kit specifically optimized for the requirements of the Chinese consumer market.

 

The Company converts its listing currency from USD to SGD and begins trading its shares in SGD on 1 December 1998.

 

The Company receives trustee stock status from the Central Provident Fund Board Singapore effective 1 December 1998.

The Company increases its effective stake in Wujiang Dafa Real Estate Development Co Ltd from 45% to 55%, making it a subsidiary. 

1999

Mr Victor Loh and Mr Heng Chiang Meng are appointed as Non-Executive Directors of the Company.

2000

The Company divests its stake in Pacific Century Hotels Unit Trust.

 

Mr Natarajan Subramaniam is appointed as the Vice-Chairman of the Board.

2002

The Company implements a capital reduction exercise to eliminate its unaudited accumulated losses.

2003

A wholly-owned subsidiary, Digital Info Technology Pte. Ltd., is incorporated in Singapore for the purpose of business development and marketing of digital video recorder cards and innovative digital lifestyle products. 

2004

The Company establishes a new joint-venture subsidiary, Shanghai Tetronics Co Ltd. The principal activity is in Electronic Manufacturing Services.

 

Mr Anil Moolchand Daryanani is appointed as the Group Financial Controller.

2005

 

The Company enters into a subscription agreement in February 2005 with China Yuchai International Limited ("CYI"), a subsidiary of Hong Leong Asia Ltd, whereby CYI agrees to subscribe for 264,000,000 new capital of the Company, representing approximately 14.99% of the Company's resultant enlarged issue share capital.  These are allotted in March 2005 to Venture Delta Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CYI.  Consequently, Hong Leong nominees, Messrs Wong Hong Ren, Teo Tong Kooi and Neo Teck Pheng, are appointed as Non-Executive Directors of the Company.   Mr Ting Sii Tien @ Yao Sik Tien is appointed as Alternate Director to Mr Teo Tong Kooi.

 

The Group shifts its operational headquarters in August to Shanghai from Hong Kong in order to be closer to its biggest market.

 

The Company's subsidiary, Shanghai Detian Electronics Trading Co., Ltd, and Panasonic Corporation of China, sign a contract to distribute digital still cameras, digital video cameras and other associated products in China.

Gateway Distriparks Limited, a long term investment of the Group, is successfully listed on the Stock Exchange in Mumbai, India and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited on 31 March 2005.

 

The Company increases its stake in the capital of First Capital Property Ventures Pte Ltd from 25% to 32.5%.

2006

The Company was ranked amongst the Top 50 in the Singapore International 100 ranking and the Top 10 in China in January.  The Singapore International 100 ranking was organized by IE Singapore. 

 

The Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Thakral China Ltd, is awarded Multinational Company Regional Headquarters status by the Shanghai Municipal People's government.

 

The Company launches Rights Issues of Rights Shares and Convertible Bonds in February 2006, whereby 146,843,551 rights shares and 70,484,904 convertible bonds are issued in the same month, raising gross proceeds of about S$68 million.

 

Mr Sherman Kwek is appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of the Company.

 

In August 2006, DBS Bank Ltd, acting for and on behalf of Venture Delta Limited ("VDL"), launches a mandatory conditional cash offer to acquire all the shares and convertible bonds not already owned, controlled, or agreed to be acquired by VDL or its Concert Parties.  The mandatory conditional cash offer lapses on 20 October 2006.

 

The Company changes its financial year end from 31 March to 31 December.

 

The Company establishes Chengdu Dewei Infotech Co. Ltd. as a wholly-owned subsidiary to engage in software technology consultancy and development.

2007

Babcock & Brown, a global investment and advisory firm listed on the ASX, takes a substantial shareholding of 9.5% in the Company.

 

Babcock & Brown nominee Mr Andrew James Schwartz is appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company, and Mr Eytan Uliel is appointed as an Alternate Director to Mr Schwartz.

 

Mr Sanjib Sengupta is appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

 

Mr Lau Keng Fai, Patrick is appointed as the Group Internal Auditor of the Company.

 

On 30 November 2007, the Company redeemed all its convertible bonds outstanding as at that date, ahead of the original due date in February 2009. The aggregate principal amount of Bonds redeemed and cancelled by the Company was about S$426,000 and the total redemption amount (inclusive of interest) paid in respect of such Bonds was about S$429,000.

2008

Mr Victor Loh and Mr Wong Hong Ren retired at the conclusion of the Company’s 15th Annual General Meeting.

 

Mr Ting Sii Tien @ Yao Sik Tien is appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company, and Mr Hoh Weng Ming is appointed as an Alternate Director to Mr Teo Tong Kooi. Mr Neo Teck Pheng resigned as a Non-Executive Director.

 

In May 2008, the Company announced that it will seek shareholder approval to reposition its principal business from consumer electronics distribution to real estate and related infrastructure investment in the Pan Asian region (including Australia and New Zealand).

 

Mr Sherman Kwek resigned as Chief Operating Officer of the Company.

 

Mr Jaginder Singh Pasricha is appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Company in place of Mr Andrew James Schwartz who resigned.  Mr Eytan Michael Uliel ceased to be an Alternate Director.

 

Mr Inderbethal Singh Thakral is re-designated as the Executive Director, Distribution Business of the Group on 1 December 2008.

2009

Mr Ting Sii Tien @ Yao Sik Tien is appointed as a member of the Compensation Committee of the Company.  Mr Teo Tong Kooi is appointed as an alternate to Mr Ting on the Compensation Committee and therefore ceased to be a Compensation Committee member.

 

Mr Heng Chiang Meng retired at the conclusion of the Company’s 16th Annual General Meeting.

 

Mr Pratap Chinnan Nambiar is appointed as an Independent Director of the Company and a member of the Company's Audit Committee and Nomination Committees. 

 

Mr Lee Ying Cheun is appointed as the Chairman of the Company's Compensation Committee. 

 

Mr Inderbethal Singh Thakral is re-designated as Managing Director, Distribution Business of the Group.

 

The Company announced a proposed capital reduction and cash distibution of S$0.05 per share on 1 December 2009. The proposed capital reduction and cash distribution exercise is subject to approval of the Shareholders and High Court of Singapore.  

 

The Company announced that the Board has resolved not to proceed with the proposed business diversification announced in May 2008.

2010

Mr Jaginder Singh Pasricha is re-designated as Managing Director, Real Estate & Corporate of the Company.

 

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