IIFCL to raise $1.2 billion from foreign lenders

India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL), the special purpose vehicle floated by the government, has approached international lenders, including a consortium of Japanese banks, to raise over $1.2 billion (about Rs 5,040 crore) debt.

In addition, it wants the government to chip in with an additional Rs 200 crore equity that will see its paid-up capital base increasing to Rs 1,000 crore. On Thursday, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to double its authorised capital to Rs 2,000 crore. A decision on expanding the paid-up capital is pending.

Besides, a source close to the development said the IIFCL board will soon discuss a proposal to raise Rs 1,000 crore from the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) and another Rs 500 crore from LIC.

The loan from NSSF will come at a rate comparable to 10-year government securities, while the company has proposed to raise funds from LIC at 50 basis points above the prevailing rate on the 10-year paper.

Last year, IIFCL had raised Rs 1,500 crore from NSSF and Rs 1,000 crore from LIC.

Of the foreign funds to be raised, IIFCL intends to mop up $600 million from World Bank, Euro 280 million (or $410 million) from German financial institution KfW and $250 million from Sumiotomo, Mizuho and JBIC.

So far, it has sanctioned loans for 22 power projects, four ports, two airports, one urban infrastructure and 27 road projects. The total sanctions are estimated at Rs 12,000 crore, while so far, disbursement has been to the tune of Rs 2,400 crore.

Loans from LIC and NSSF are proposed as they are seen as low-cost sources of finance to help the institutions (which have government guarantees to raise Rs 10,000 crore) keep the cost of funds low.

So far, IIFCL has used guarantees worth Rs 3,500 crore.

In recent years, infrastructure projects, especially power, have been the biggest loan seeker from banks and financial institutions, amounting to close to half of Rs 2,84,000-crore loans approved by these lenders in 2007-’08.

While the demand is coming down due to higher interest cost, sources said, IIFCL wanted to be prepared with funds to lend as and when projects came up. Besides, loans from multi-lateral institutions often take time before they are cleared.