News on Reserve Bank of India

Reserve Bank relaxes end-use stipulations under External Commercial Borrowings Framework for Corporates and NBFCs

To further liberalize the ECB framework, it has been decided, in consultation with the Government of India, to relax the end-use restrictions. Accordingly, eligible borrowers will now be permitted to raise ECBs for the following purposes from recognized lenders, except foreign branches/ overseas subsidiaries of Indian banks, subject to paragraph 2.2 of the direction ibid:

• i. ECBs with a minimum average maturity period of 10 years for working capital purposes and general corporate purposes. Borrowing by NBFCs for the above maturity for on lending for the above purposes is also permitted.

• ii. ECBs with a minimum average maturity period of 3 RBI during the week Notifications -1; Master Directions –0; Master Circulars–0; Circular-0; Press Release – 1; Page 7 of 10 7 years can be availed by eligible borrowers for repayment of Rupee loans availed domestically for capital expenditure as also by NBFCs for on-lending for the same purpose. For repayment of Rupee loans availed domestically for purposes other than capital expenditure and for on-lending by NBFCs for the same, the minimum average maturity period of the ECB is required to be 10 years.

• iii. It has been decided to permit eligible corporate borrowers to avail ECB for repayment of Rupee loans availed domestically for capital expenditure in manufacturing and infrastructure sector if classified as SMA-2 or NPA, under any one time settlement with lenders. Lender banks are also permitted to sell, through assignment, such loans to eligible ECB lenders, except foreign branches/ overseas subsidiaries of Indian banks, provided, the resultant external commercial borrowing complies with allin-cost, minimum average maturity period and other relevant norms of the ECB framework.