SMFG India Credit raises Rs 600 crore via maiden rupee debt issuance

Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation has raised Rs 600 crore through its maiden rupee-denominated perpetual debt issuance and the money will be infused into the group entity SMFG India Credit Co.

The amount mopped up through the external commercial borrowing route would help to bolster the tier-I capital base of SMFG India Credit Co, formerly known as Fullerton India Credit, according to a statement on Wednesday.

Pankaj Malik, the chief financial officer of SMFG India, said with capital infusion, the company's capital adequacy ratio improved 160 bps. Since these bonds are perpetual, the issuance also strengthens asset liability profile.

Though perpetual bonds means debt issued with no maturity dates, in practice perpetual debt has a tenor of 100 years, or marginally less.

The only other issuer from the lending space that has issued perpetual debt in the country is State Bank of India and among other corporate, it is only Reliance Industries.

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group holds a 74.9 per cent stake in SMFG India Credit, which started operations in 2007 and now has a pan-India presence.