Apollo Files Response to Cooper Complaint

Apollo Tyres Ltd (NSE: ApolloTYRE) yesterday filed its answer to the complaint filed by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

with the Delaware Court of Chancery on October 4, 2013 as well as a counterclaim. In its answer, Apollo denied the allegations made by Cooper regarding the course of its negotiations with the United Steelworkers and confirmed that it has worked diligently to reach a settlement with the United Steelworkers to enable Cooper to overcome the United Steelworkers injunction prohibiting Cooper from consummating the merger. Apollo also asserted affirmative defenses, including that conditions precedent to closing had not been satisfied because the marketing period for the financing, central to Cooper's claims in its complaint, had never commenced and that Cooper has failed to meet its contractual obligations under the merger agreement. Apollo also filed a counterclaim seeking a declaratory judgment that the conditions precedent to the closing of the merger have not been satisfied. Apollo's response details Cooper's failures to provide information required to be provided under the merger agreement due in part to its lack of control of its Chinese subsidiary, Cooper Chengshan Tire (CCT), as well as Cooper's breach of several representations, warranties and covenants in the merger agreement. Apollo reaffirms that it believes that a merger with Cooper is strategically compelling and that it continues to work diligently to address the various post-announcement impediments preventing Cooper from consummating the merger. About Apollo Tyres Ltd Apollo Tyres Ltd is a high-performance tire manufacturer headquartered in India. It is built around the core principles of creating stakeholder value through reliability in its products and dependability in its relationships. The company has manufacturing units in India, the Netherlands, and South Africa and exports its products around the world. In each of its markets the company operates through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multi-product outlets. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect Apollo's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “may,” “could,” “intend,” “intent,” “belief,” “desire,” “estimate,” “plan,” “likely,” “will,” “should” or similar words or phrases. These statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or projections will be achieved.