NTPC raises $500 mn from international bond markets

NTPC, the largest power generating company in India, has raised 500 million dollars from the international bond markets on Wednesday.

NTPC is the first Indian company to tap the foreign currency bond market after the government clarified recently that provisions of the new Companies Act - regarding prospectus and allotment of securities - do not apply to issue of foreign currency bonds by Indian companies.

The offering was met with very strong demand and the transaction was oversubscribed within an hour of announcement.

According to NTPC, the final order book was over US$ 2.3 billion, an oversubscription in excess of 4.6 times, with orders from 160 accounts.  

“It is an affirmation of our leadership position in the Indian power sector by the international investors and renewed interest in India,” said Arup Roy Choudhury, CMD, NTPC.

In terms of geographical distribution, Asia took the bulk of the transaction at 68%, with supplemental demand from Europe and offshore US accounts at 18% and 14% respectively.

The Notes were distributed to high quality fixed income accounts: 53% to fund managers, 20% to banks, 15% to insurance, 8% to official institutions and 4% to private banks and others.

The company has a portfolio of over 23,000MW capacity under execution and it intends to use the proceeds of this issue to finance its ongoing and new power projects.

Barclays, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and SBI Capital Markets acted as joint book-runners and lead managers.