Reliance Communications defaults in closely-watched India test
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Hong Kong: The first default on US dollar bonds by an Indian company in 15 months may become a closely-watched test case for how international creditors will fare under the country’s new bankruptcy laws.
Reliance Communications Ltd, the Indian mobile phone operator controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, failed to pay a coupon on its 2020 dollar notes before the expiry of a grace period on Monday, according to a person familiar with the matter. It’s India’s most high-profile default on international debt since the nation’s insolvency and bankruptcy code was passed in May 2016.
The new rules, part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to make India more investor-friendly, are designed to speed up debt restructurings in a country whose banking system is plagued by the highest stressed-asset ratio in 17 years. An improved resolution process would not only encourage foreign money managers to increase holdings of Indian distressed debt, it could also help reduce borrowing costs for companies across the credit spectrum.
“If the restructuring is done properly and fairly, this could set a good precedent and global creditors will take comfort that debt restructuring can have a satisfactory outcome in India,” said Dhiraj Bajaj, Singapore-based portfolio manager at Lombard Odier. “Historically, some debt restructurings have taken years and proved to be very costly for creditors from a time, capital and opportunity cost perspective.”
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At least nine people were burnt alive and 15 injured when a moving bus caught fire near Tauru in Haryana's Nuh district in the early hours of Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred around 2 am on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway. The bus was carrying around 60 people, all residents of Punjab's Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana, who were returning from pilgrim towns of Mathura and Vrindavan. All of them are relatives, police said.
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Softbank-backed OYO is set to refile its much-awaited IPO as the global travel tech player is close to finalising its refinancing plans to raise up to $450 million via sale of dollar bonds, sources said.
JP Morgan is the likely lead banker for the refinancing through the sale of dollar bonds at an estimated interest rate of 9 to 10 per cent per annum, a source said.
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The national capital on Saturday morning recorded a minimum temperature of 27.1 degrees Celsius, 0.6 notch above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
On Friday, Delhi witnessed 47.4 degrees Celsius in Najafgarh, making it the hottest place in the country.
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Shareholders in Nestle India have rejected a company proposal to increase royalty payments to its Swiss parent Nestle, the company said late on Friday.
The motion called for the royalty paid to its parent to climb to 5.25 per cent of net sales, net of taxes, compared to the current level of 4.5 per cent. The increase was proposed at a rate of 0.15 per cent per annum.
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Shares of Zee Entertainment soared up to 5.2 per cent at Rs 141.65 per share on the BSE in Saturday’s intraday trade. The hike in the stock prices came after the company delivered a turnaround in quarterly growth for the January-March quarter of fiscal year 2023-24 (Q4FY24).
In the March quarter, the company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 13.35 crore, marking a reversal from a consolidated net loss of Rs 196.03 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
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