Asian fund BPEA EQT closes in on study loan financer HDFC Credila

Transaction may close at a valuation of $1.2 bn; sale expedited following RBI instructions to either sell the firm or merge it with HDFC or HDFC Bank before their own merger by July

A consortium of private equity firms led by BPEA EQT, an Asian private equity fund, is closing in on HDFC Credila Financial Services, a dedicated education loan company, at a valuation of up to $1.2 billion, banking sources said on Monday.

The sale has been expedited following instructions from the Reserve Bank of India to either sell the company or merge it with HDFC or HDFC Bank before their own merger by July. The regulator has permitted the bank to retain up to 10 per cent stake in the company. The education loan firm had loan assets of Rs 15,298