REC may raise an extra $750 million this year

State-run Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) may raise an additional $750 million (Rs 3,350 crore) from markets abroad this financial year, apart from the planned $1 billion (Rs 4,450 crore).

The company had already raised $470 mn earlier this year via overseas bonds and has planned to raise another $500 mn by the end of December.

“We have permission to raise another $750 mn by December, apart from the planned $1 bn. But we might get an extension for this and raise it via external commercial borrowings (ECB) by the end of the current fiscal,” a senior REC official told Business Standard.

The company will start road shows abroad soon for its plans. It has appointed Standard Chartered Bank, RBS and Calyon as bankers to the proposed issue of $500 mn. REC is planning road shows in New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and London.

The company also plans to issue 10-year deep discount bonds, known as zero coupon bonds, in the last quarter of this year. The face value would be around Rs 3,000-4,000 crore and the redemption value about Rs 7,500 crore, the official said.

The government had in April approved the plan of raising funds through issue of 2.5 million deep discount bonds with maturity value of Rs 30,000 each for a 10-year period by March 31, 2011. The income from such bonds will be taxed as capital gains only on transfer or redemption or maturity.

The deep discount bond is bought at a price lower than its face value, with the face value repaid at the time of maturity. It does not make periodic interest payments. The benefit to the investors comes from compounded interest paid at redemption and the difference between the discounted price of the bond and its redemption value.

REC will also introduce infrastructure bonds by December or January and is likely to raise Rs 1,000-1,500 crore from the issuance, the official said. Subscribing investors will be eligible for income tax exemption up to Rs 20,000 a year under the recently introduced Section 80CCF of the Income Tax Act.