24 April 2024

LEI: 213800KX5ZS1NGAR2J89

NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR TO INDIA, THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EEA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. PLEASE SEE THE SECTION ENTITLED "DISCLAIMER" TOWARDS THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

The contents of this announcement do not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, an offer of or invitation to sell or issue or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any securities for sale or subscription in any jurisdiction nor shall they (or any part of them) or the fact of their distribution form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, or act as an inducement to enter into, any contract or commitment to do so. This announcement is an advertisement and not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation Rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (the "Prospectus Regulation Rules"), and shall not be relied upon in connection with or act as an inducement to enter into any contract or commitment whatsoever. A prospectus has been prepared and will shortly be made available to the public in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation Rules (the "Prospectus"). Recipients of this announcement who intend to purchase such securities are reminded that any such purchase or subscription must be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the Prospectus in its final form. Copies of the Prospectus, subject to certain access restrictions, will be available at the National Storage Mechanism at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism and from the Company's registered office and on the Company's website (https://ashokaindiaequity.com).

Ashoka India Equity Investment Trust plc 

(the "Company" or "Ashoka India Equity Investment Trust")

Publication of Prospectus

Further to the Company's announcement on 16 April 2024 regarding publication of a shareholder circular (the "Circular") in respect of a proposed share issuance programme of new ordinary shares of one penny each (the "Ordinary Shares") (the "Share Issuance Programme"), the Company is pleased to announce that it has published the Prospectus today.

The Prospectus will be available, subject to certain access restrictions, on the Company's website (https://ashokaindiaequity.com), at the Company's registered office at 6th Floor, 125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AS, and at the National Storage Mechanism via https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

This announcement has been released on behalf of the Company by order of the Board.

Enquiries:

Apex Listed Companies Services (UK) Limited

Jenny Thompson

0203 327 9720

Peel Hunt LLP

Luke Simpson / Liz Yong / Huw Jeremy

020 7418 8900

Disclaimer

This announcement is an advertisement and does not constitute a prospectus relating to the Company for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation Rules and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any shares in the Company in any jurisdiction nor shall it, or any part of it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with or act as any inducement to enter into, any contract therefor.

Peel Hunt LLP ("Peel Hunt"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively for the Company only in connection with the matters described in this announcement and is not acting for or advising any other person, or treating any other person as its client, in relation thereto and will not be responsible for providing the regulatory protection afforded to clients of Peel Hunt or advice to any other person in relation to the matters contained herein.

The shares of the Company have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) (the "Securities Act") or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered or sold into or within the United States, absent registration, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction that is not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with the securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. The shares of the Company may be offered outside of the United States pursuant to the provisions of Regulation S of the Securities Act. Further, the Company is not, and will not be, registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Moreover, the shares of the Company have not been, nor will they be, registered under the applicable securities laws of India, Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any member state of the EEA. Subject to certain exceptions, the shares of the Company may not be offered or sold in India, the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any member state of the EEA (other than to professional investors in certain EEA member states for which marketing approval has been obtained) or to, or for the account or benefit of, any national, resident or citizen of India, the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any member state of the EEA (other than to professional investors in certain EEA member states for which marketing approval has been obtained). The distribution of this announcement, in other jurisdictions may be restricted by law and the persons into whose possession this announcement comes should inform themselves about, and observe, any such restrictions.

None of the Company, Acorn Asset Management Ltd (the "Investment Manager"), White Oak Capital Partners Pte. Ltd. (the "Investment Adviser") or Peel Hunt, or any of their respective affiliates, accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to this announcement, including the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of the announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. The Company, the Investment Manager, the Investment Adviser and Peel Hunt, and their respective affiliates, accordingly disclaim all and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise which they might otherwise have in respect of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.

Information to distributors

Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (a) the UK's implementation of EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("UK MiFID II"); and (b) the UK's implementation of Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing UK MiFID II, and in particular Chapter 3 of the Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook of the FCA (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Ordinary Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such securities are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in UK MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by UK MiFID II (the "Target Market Assessment").

Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors (such term to have the same meaning as in the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) should note that: the price of the Ordinary Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Ordinary Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Ordinary Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Share Issuance Programme or the Performance Fee Issue (as defined in the Prospectus). Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, Peel Hunt will only procure investors pursuant to the Share Issuance Programme who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties and will not procure any investors in connection with the Performance Fee Issue.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of UK MiFID II; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Ordinary Shares.

Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Ordinary Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels.