North Block is worried the continued losses suffered by IDBI Bank and the erosion of LIC’s investment in the lender, made at its insistence, may force it to eventually step in with rescue capital or allow the bank to be sold off.
“The Life Insurance Corporation invested around Rs 21,624 crore in IDBI, including buying a 26 per cent stake at a price of Rs 61.73 a share. That share price has now dropped to Rs 43.10, around a 30 per cent fall in price. This is a worrying phenomenon, especially as IDBI Bank does not look like turning around anytime soon,” said officials.