(Updates Unicredit (MI:CRDI), Adds Gold Fields Ltd , Dish TV India, Santander (MC:SAN), Argor-Heraeus, Ratos)
Nov 11 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Friday:
** Indian satellite TV operator Dish TV India Ltd DSTV.NS said on Friday it planned to merge with rival Videocon d2h Ltd VDTH.O to create a new company with net subscribers of 27.6 million, strengthening its lead in India's fast-growing direct-to-home (DTH) operator market. Buyout firms have approached Santander Asset Management SASS.SN and Intesa Sanpaolo ISP.MI over a possible takeover of the Allfunds Bank mutual fund platform, sources told Reuters. South Africa's Gold Fields Ltd GFIJ.J and Silver Standard Resources Inc SSO.TO have made three joint, unsolicited bids for Canada's Kirkland Lake Gold KLG.TO and recently sweetened their offer to about C$1.4 billion ($1 billion), three sources familiar with the process said. Swiss precious metals refiner Argor-Heraeus ARGOR.UNL has been put up for sale, sources close to the matter told Reuters, with the potential for bids to push as high as $490 million. Swedish private-equity firm Ratos RATOb.ST said it was selling its subsidiary Mobile Climate Control (MCC) to industrial group VBG VBGb.ST in a 1.8 billion crown ($199 million) deal. Dutch postal company PostNL PTNL.AS rejected Belgian rival Bpost's BPOST.BR 2.4 billion-euro offer on Friday as not being of "sufficiently compelling value", saying it was confident it could thrive as a standalone company. Italian bank UniCredit has received four binding offers for its asset manager Pioneer, valuing the business at more than 3 billion euros ($3.25 billion), two sources close to the matter said. South Korea's Samsung (KS:005930) Life Insurance Co Ltd 032830.KS said on Friday it would buy 290 billion won ($249 million) worth of shares in Samsung Securities Co Ltd 016360.KS , boosting its stake and injecting capital in the brokerage affiliate. Platinum mining company Lonmin Plc LMI.L said it would buy Anglo American (LON:AAL) Platinum Ltd's AMSJ.J stake of its joint venture on Pandora mine for a consideration of 400 million rand ($28 million).