Rating company has downgraded the debt-laden Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) by several notches citing cash crunch pressure. The rating company has downgraded the company’s bonds and long term loans to BB from AA+. "The downgrade of ratings takes into account the increase in liquidity pressure at the group level,” it said in a note on Saturday. 

 

“While the company is in the process to raise Rs8,000 crore of funds from the promoter group (through a mix of rights issue and long term line of credit), timely receipt of the same is important to improve the group’s overall liquidity profile.” 

 

The rating company has sought further clarity on the timing of these inflows and given the sizeable repayment obligations of the group’s debt, this remains a key rating sensitivity in the near term. 

 

IL&FS management met to chalk out plans for immediate fund raising, a key lifeline that will help the company running. It has decided to seek short-term bridge loans of Rs3,000 crore from LIC and the State Bank of India, two existing stakeholders in the group. 

 

ICRA has also downgraded the commercial papers, issued by the IL&FS to A4 from A1+, a significant fall in the grade. CPs are short-term debt instruments. Some small-size mutual fund houses are holding such papers.  IL&FS has also sought to roll over its corporate deposits as it has failed to repay more than three-fourths of one-year term deposits of Rs250 crore.

 

Small Industries and Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has received only Rs50 crore while the remaining Rs200 crore is not yet credited, said a person, who did not wish to be identified. The ratings also consider the company’s elevated debt levels owing to the funding commitments towards group ventures coupled with slow progress on asset monetisation. 

 

The ratings continue to be under watch with developing implications taking into cognizance the Group’s ongoing strategic initiatives for deleveraging its balance sheet and stream lining the portfolio, ICRA said. 

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Friday suggested that asset sale of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) should be under supervision or oversight of a retired judge from the Supreme Court. 

 

While staying arbitration proceedings against the cash-strapped group, the Tribunal asked IL&FS to submit details of all the arbitral proceedings going on against it and its 348 subsidiaries. However, arbitration proceedings where IL&FS is getting money will continue, the two-member bench headed by NCLAT Chairperson Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya said.

 

IL&FS group, which had a debt of more than Rs91,000 crore at the end of March 2018, is trying to sell its companies and their assets as part of its asset monetisation efforts to pay off the dues. Next hearing on the matter will be held on 28th January.

 

Last year in October, the Central government superseded the management of IL&FS by appointing a six-member board led by banker Uday Kotak to restore its financial solvency after it defaulted on payment dues triggering liquidity concerns in the NBFC sector.

 

By November, the firm initiated the asset monetisation process and received over a dozen Expressions of Interest (EoIs) towards acquiring its stake in IL&FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL) and ISSL Settlement and Transaction Services Ltd (ISTSL).

 

Later, it initiated the process to sell its renewable energy business, the group's interests in education (IL&FS Education & Technology Services Ltd) and the 'Alternative Investment Management' businesses, along with other subsidiary businesses.

 

On Wednesday, IL&FS said it received more than 30 EoIs for domestic roads vertical IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd. It includes its domestic EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and O&M (operations and maintenance) businesses.

 

IL&FS Ltd is a core investment company and serves as the holding company of the IL&FS Group, with most business operations domiciled in separate companies, which form an ecosystem of expertise across infrastructure, finance and social and environmental services.

 

Separately, according to a report from Times of India, the Gujarat Metro Rail Corp (GMRC) had terminated a contract awarded to IL&FS Engineering & Construction due to delays in completing the project. The Rs374.64 crore contract was to build four stations and lay a 4.6kms viaduct for the metro project in Ahmedabad. However, facing financial constrains, the IL&FS group company had stopped work on this project since September 2018. GMRC has now given the contract to J Kumar Infrastructure. 

 

Meanwhile the debt-ridden group has urged Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) to release funds to secure the release of four employees still held hostage in Ethiopia by local staff, says a report from the Hindu Business Line . 

 

In a letter to the Exim Bank, Dilip Bhatia, chief executive of IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL), said the company has sought 4.89 million Ethiopian birr (ETB) from the bank. The local employees of IL&FS’ joint venture in Ethiopia, ITNL-Elsamex JV Bure, have demanded an additional four months’ net salary for the release of the four Indian employees who have been held hostage since 24 November 2018. 

 

“This is a crisis our employees are facing in Ethiopia and it’s our humble request to kindly let these funds be unblocked to help our employees,” the ITNL letter dated 8 January 2019, seen by BusinessLine, states, adding that the bank should take a view on “humanitarian grounds”.