 "Gautam Adani")
By P R Sanjai and Saikat Das
Billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate plans to tap India’s bond market to raise up to 150 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) this financial year as it gears up local-currency debt sales since damaging allegations were made by a short seller earlier this year, according to people familiar with the matter.
The notes would likely be sold in small 5 billion to 10 billion rupee lots of listed and unlisted bonds to meet capital expenditure requirements, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd., Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd., Mumbai International Airport Ltd., Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd. and flagship Adani Enterprises Ltd. are among the group’s firms that may issue first, the people said.
The plans will likely gather steam in two months and the amount eventually raised could be double the initial size, one of the people said. However, the deliberations are still progressing and have not yet been finalized, according to the people. An Adani spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Adani’s plans are aimed at shoring up investor confidence after months of damage control following Hindenburg Research’s January report detailing alleged years-long corporate malfeasance, which sent the group’s stocks and bonds tumbling. The conglomerate has denied the US short seller’s accusations and Adani Enterprises earlier this month raised 12.5 billion rupees through a sale of Indian bonds.
The tycoon’s group is also in talks with Barclays Plc, Deutsche Bank AG and Standard Chartered Plc to borrow between $600 million and $750 million to refinance debt taken on to finance its purchase of Ambuja Cements Ltd., Bloomberg News reported last week. Separately, Adani New Industries Ltd. has raised $394 million through a trade finance facility from Barclays and Deutsche Bank for a solar module project.
