Earlier, MoneyControl had reported that JSW Paints had emerged as the front-runner and the paints arm of the conglomerate had signed an exclusivity pact with the parent AkzoNobel NV. The JSW Group’s promoters, the Jindal family, have planned to pledge a portion of their stakes in group companies to raise funds worth ₹ 9,000 crore for the acquisition. The family has reportedly planned that a portion of the total pledged amount, i.e., ₹ 2,000 crore will be raised via holdings in JSW Steel and JSW Paints, while the rest of the ₹ 7,000 crore will be managed via a mix of debt and structured credit.