The Senior Analyst Jan. 2014 | Page 21

THE SENIOR ANALYST Jan 2014 Concessionaire and the Project Authority for ensuring a compulsory buyout with termination payment in the event of default in repayment by the Concessionaire. Only banks and Infrastructure Finance companies can sponsor such IDF-NBFCs, while they are regulated by RBI. the asset-liability mismatch. This allows freeing up bank’s money and encouraging them to lend more to infrastructure projects as their exposure is limited. The idea of offering so-called takeout financing at the pre-bid stage was initially proposed by the Planning Commission. To IDF-MF IDF NBFC Regulator SEBI RBI Leverage Can't issue bonds or debt papers Can leverage by issuing bonds Tax Transparency No such limit as MF units are capital 15% of risk weighted assets itself Credit enhancement guarantees No such provision Currency risks Rupee denominated units will result May issue bonds in both rupee and foreign into currency risk for foreign investors currencies thus reducing the risk for foreign investors Presently, there are four IDFs registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) viz. ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Debt Fund, Birla Sunlife Infrastructure Debt Fund, IDBI Infrastructure Debt Fund & IDFC Infrastructure Debt Fund. The first project to be refinanced from the fund is the Jaiprakash Group’s Zirakpur-Parwanoo project. It is hoped that more such funds will emerge and play a key role in meeting the future requirements of infrastructure projects. B.Takeout Financing: It is a financing scheme developed by government under which banks lend to infrastructure projects but sell a part of that loan to a third party after a certain period of time. Thus there is a third party involved which takes out the infrastructure loan from Bank’s Balance sheet to its own. By selling a part of the loan to an institution that has long term funds banks are able to reduce lending thus preventing itself from Provision can be made to attract different categories of investors achieve this end, Government of India in 2010 set up India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL), a state owned enterprise, providing take out finance scheme. Initial proposal: As per the initial proposal IIFCL would take over up to 75% of an individual bank's loan or 50% of the residual project cost on to its own books. The loan could be repaid over a 15year time period and only those projects that had a residual debt tenor of at least six years or those which are yet to achieve financial closure will be eligible for the scheme. The project developer, IIFCL and the lender would enter into a tripartite agreement, which would include the rate of interest on the take out amount. IIFCL could take over the loan after four years from the commencement of the project. Though the proposed scheme addressed the issues of asset liability mismatch, it received mixed response from bank. This is because, IIFCL would charge an annual transaction fee of 50 Page 21