March 14 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers,

acquisitions and disposals were reported by 1140 GMT on

Thursday:

** Private equity firm KKR has launched a 2.8

billion euro ($3.06 billion) takeover offer for German

electricity and energy producer Encavis, the company

said.

** Elbe Bidco has launched a takeover offer for German

electricity and energy producer Encavis, the company

said, confirming previous talks.

** Drugmaker AstraZeneca AZN.L said it would acquire

endocrine diseases-focused firm Amolyt Pharma for $1.05 billion

in cash, in a bid to boost its rare diseases portfolio.

** Spanish construction giant Ferrovial said it

will buy a 24% stake in IRB Infrastructure Trust, an investment

vehicle that holds a portfolio of 12 toll road concessions in

India, for 740 million euros (about $810 million).

** Japanese state-backed fund Japan Investment Corp (JIC)

will start a tender offer for chip materials maker JSR Corp's ( JSCPF )

shares on March 19 after it obtained Chinese

regulators' approval, Bloomberg News reported.

** Appen ( APPEF ) said U.S.-based digital data solutions

firm Innodata ( INOD ) has withdrawn a non-binding indicative

proposal for a buyout, sending shares of the Australian software

firm tumbling more than 17%.

** U.S. President Joe Biden plans to express concern over

Nippon Steel's proposed $14.9 billion purchase of U.S. Steel, a

person familiar with the matter said, pushing the U.S. company's

stock nearly 13% lower on bets the deal could face greater

political opposition.

** Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) STEL.SI shares

fell more than 1% in early trade after reports it was in

advanced negotiations to sell a significant stake in Australian

telco Optus to Canada's Brookfield Asset Management ( BAM ).

** India's Reliance Industries has agreed to buy

Paramount Global's ( PARAA ) entire 13.01% stake in local

entertainment network Viacom 18 Media for about $517 million

(42.86 billion Indian rupees), the U.S. company said in a

regulatory filing.

** South African coal miner Exxaro Resources is

considering potential deals to acquire copper and manganese

assets as part of its diversification strategy, Chief Executive

Nombasa Tsengwa said.

** Japan's SoftBank Group is exploring a potential

investment in France's Mistral AI, Bloomberg News reported,

citing people familiar with the matter.

** The owners of Aareal Bank have lined up advisers to sell

its tech unit, three people familiar with the matter told

Reuters, as the German property lender navigates a global crunch

in commercial real estate.

** Biopharmaceutical company Biocon's unit Biocon

Biologics will sell its Indian branded formulations businesses

to Eris Lifesciences ERIS.NS in a deal worth 12.42 billion

rupees ($150 million), the companies said in separate exchange

filings.

** Swedish gaming company Embracer agreed to

divest selected assets from its subsidiary Saber Interactive for

$247 million, thereby ceasing all operations in Russia, it said

on.

** Czech-Slovak investment group J&T will invest 100 million

euros ($109.40 million) to take an 8.1% share in Emma Alpha

Holding, the main investment platform of Czech investor Jiri

Smejc's Emma Capital, the groups said.

** Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) won unconditional EU antitrust

approval for its $28 billion bid for cybersecurity firm Splunk ( SPLK )

after EU regulators said they did not see any

competition issues.

(Compiled by Rajarshi Roy and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru)