No official confirmation was available. However, people in the know of thedeal said the pact was struck on Thursday (May 11).

ORG-MARG chairman Titoo Ahluwalia declined to divulge any details. "We arestill in the stage of completing various formalities. The final shape ofthings will not be clear until Monday," he said. VNU chief Peter Tordoir toowas not available for comment.

As per the earlier shareholding pattern, the Advanis held 50.2 per centwhile VNU held 35 per cent. The balance was with Ahluwalia and employees.Earlier, the Advanis were contemplating buying out VNU's stake. As per theagreement entered into by the two earlier last year, either of the two majorshareholders could exercise the option of buying out the other.

The agreement which was entered into by the two parties last year came to anend on March 31 this year. The deadline was subsequently extended by anothermonth, giving the Advanis time to chalk out their plans. This deadline endedon April 29, 2000.

The Advanis' intention of picking up VNU's stake in the firm, however, waswidely protested by the management and employees of ORG-MARG. According tothem, a strategic investor, which will bring in the requisite knowhow andtechnology to the firm, is as important to a professional organisation as isa financial investor. A string of senior managers went to the extent ofthreatening to quit the research outfit if VNU did not take a majoritycontrol.

VNU is a $3.8-billion publishing and information company, which marked itspresence in ORG-MARG in 1996, by picking up part of Advanis' and Ahluvalia'sstake in the firm. Prior to the buyout, the board of ORG-MARG comprised ofthree VNU directors headed by Peter Tordoir, two Advani brothers (Ashok andRajkumar), Ahluwalia and four external directors.