Billions of dollars at stake as courts begin ruling on pending bank cases

The legal tussles pit India's lenders, central bank and government against corporate borrowers struggling to survive amid lockdowns prompted by Covid-19

Indian courts may rule in coming months on cases involving billions of dollars in distressed assets, and the decisions could clarify what roles banks play in helping companies devastated by the pandemic.

What may be among the first of the verdicts could also be one of the most important: the Supreme Court may decide within weeks on requests by big borrowers seeking relief on repayments and defaults, in what’s being called the loan moratorium case. Courts also need to rule on pending bankruptcies whose resolution in the coming year could bring billions of dollars of much needed cash to banks.

The legal