INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Top lenders, including ICICI Bank and SBI, are looking at selling a part of their bad loan portfolio to asset reconstruction companies in
the coming weeks instead of waiting for the resolutions.
Seven banks, including SBI, ICICI Bank and IDBI Bank, are in the process of selling
outstanding loans totaling a little less than Rs 28,000 crore
SBI and ICICI Bank have already disclosed the list of assets that would be put up for sale, while some others are in the final stage of
doing so.
The largest share is that of IDBI Bank, which has identified 30 accounts with Rs 21,399 crore in unpaid dues
Among others, SBI plans to sell 12 accounts with dues of Rs 1,325 crore on 100 per cent cash basis
The largest private bank ICICI Bank wants to sell 16 accounts, with dues of Rs 2,330 crore, said an executive familiar with the
development.
In the past, most banks chose to sell bad loans in the last two quarters of a financial year
However, the trend has reversed, with banks wanting to offload bad loans in the first quarter itself
The total quantum of bad loans - loans where corporate borrowers are not repaying their dues to banks- has crossed Rs 10 lakh crore
This includes the Rs 8.9 lakh crore share of government owned banks.
Over the past three years, banks have seen a large chunk of their loan
books turning sour, while demand for fresh loans has remained low
As a result, the share of bad loans as a percentage to total loans has been rising.
The move to sell loans is also because banks are
disappointed that resolutions under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code have not been realized within a stipulated timeline
In many cases such as Essar Steel, Bhushan Power and Binani Cement, tribunals have extended the 270-day deadline by a month or two
According to the law, a resolution must be in place within 270 days, failing which the assets of the company should be auctioned.
However,
due to litigations among the bidders, resolutions in several cases have suffered delays, prompting banks to look at alternative solutions
Also, most big banks such as ICICI Bank and SBI want to maintain their share of bad loans below 6 per cent - the trigger for Reserve Bank of
India to initiate prompt corrective action.
The biggest SBI account being sold is that of Ankit Metal Power, which has outstanding loans of
Rs 690 crore and the bank has set a reserve price of Rs 155 crore
IDBI Bank has not yet finalised the accounts it plans to sell
Among others, UBI plans to sell 47 accounts with dues of Rs 907 crore, UCO Bank plans to sell 21 accounts totaling Rs 890 crore, Union Bank
plans to offload 17 accounts with loans of Rs 761 crore and Dena Bank wants to sell 29 accounts of Rs 380 crore.
