Rupert Murdoch controlled News Corporation along with the persons acting in concert is making an open offer to acquire 20 per cent equity from public shareholders of the Delhi-based Hughes Software Systems Ltd at Rs 232 per share.

The persons acting in concert to acquire upto 67,34,265 shares of Rs 5 each are HNS Mauritius Holdings, Hughes Network Systems India Ltd and Hughes Electronics Corporation, the company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday.

No other person (other than the PACs) is acting in concert with News Corporation for the purpose of this offer, which opens on August 20 and closes on September 18, 2003, it said.

News Corporation and the PACs do not hold any shares in Hughes Software as of the date of this announcement except 1,86,66,616 (55.44 per cent) shares held by HNSM, it said.

The offer was not conditional on any level of acceptance by shareholders, it added.