Private players may reap Rs 1.5 lakh crore revenue bonanza from BharatNet by 2020

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Private sector players could be in for a Rs 1.5 lakh crore revenue bonanza by 2020 if the government accepts the telecom regulator’s proposals on implementing the national broadband project, BharatNet. They, however, are sceptical about potential challenges over right of way (RoW) to lay cables and want these to be ironed out by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to ensure their active participation.

“If Trai’s (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) recommendations are implemented, and the government ensures free RoW to private sector participants, as suggested by the telecom regulator, the revenue potential from broadband services could attain very significant levels by 2020, and be in the Rs 1-1.5 lakh crore range,” Broadband India Forum (BIF) president TV Ramachandran told ET. This estimate though could very easily be exceeded, given the huge potential these services have, said Ramachandran.

The BIF represents companies such as Airtel, Vodafone, Telenor, RCom, Qualcomm, Ericsson, Intel, Marvell, UTStarcom and BSNL. Hemant Joshi, partner at Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, agreed that the revenue potential could be staggering if RoW can be done away with, since it is the biggest hurdle and the costliest part of laying optical fibre across India.

“If the RoW challenge is addressed, BharatNet as India’s principal broadband backbone, can be a potential GDP multiplier, equivalent to 2-4 times the $18 billion that is proposed to be invested in the Digital India project,” said Joshi. This, he said, effectively means BharatNet can be a trigger for adding between $36 billion and $72 billion to India’s GDP in coming years, although the pace of the multiplier effect would hinge on the speed of national broadband network rollout.

In its recent recommendations on speeding up the Rs 74,000 crore BharatNet project, Trai had listed RoW as a factor considered to be a major risk by the private sector, and had urged DoT to pave the way for “a guaranteed provision of free RoW as a necessary and non-negotiable precondition for successful deployment of the national broadband project”.

Bharat-Net is being implemented as the main high-speed Internet backbone for delivering government services to the common man under Digital India initiative. Search giant Google, which had evinced interest in providing inexpensive Internet access across India, called for steps to boost broadband speeds of existing consumers.

Source:  Economic Times

Banks on takeover drive of defaulting companies

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Banks are taking over companies under the strategic debt restructuring (SDR) scheme and forcing defaulters to sell assets.

On November 30, banks announced the conversion of Rs 15,000 crore of Gammon India’s loans into equity. On the same day, they informed Hyderabad-based road developer IVRCL that they were converting Rs 7,500 crore of loans into equity.

On Thursday, Electrosteel Steels said its board of directors would meet on December 8 to take on record an SDR package. The Kolkata-based Electrosteel Steels owes banks Rs  9,500 crore.

Banks have also invoked SDR against Lanco Teesta Hydro Power, VISA Steel, Jyoti Structures, Monnet Ispat and Energy.

The SDR scheme was cleared by the Reserve Bank of India in June. The scheme was introduced because banks felt the corporate debt restructuring (CDR) scheme failed to help them recover their money. The CDR cell had approved restructuring loans worth Rs 4 lakh crore till March this year. Under the SDR scheme, banks convert loans into equity and can change the management of the company.

“Banks are not in a mood to listen to borrowers. That is why we are selling our assets in India and abroad to avoid the SDR scheme,” said the promoter of a large corporate group who did not wish to be named. With SDR as a stick,  banks have also put defaulters on notice that if they are unable repay loans by selling assets then they will do it for them. This has expedited the sale of assets by many debt-laden groups.

Banks on takeover drive of defaulting companies

Essar Steel announced on November 8 it had appointed SBI Caps and ICICI Securities to sell stakes in the company. This was apart from its own plans to sell assets worth Rs 11,200 crore by March 2016.  “The promoters will infuse another Rs 1,500 crore into the company in 2015-16,” Firdose Vandrevala, executive vice-chairman, Essar Steel, had said in a recent interview.

Soon after selling its two telecom circles to Idea Cellular, Videocon Industries said it would sell telecom assets, including spectrum, worth Rs 14,000 crore to bring down its Rs  39,000 crore net debt.

The Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Infrastructure said it would sell its cement assets and 11 road projects to cut its  Rs 25,000 crore debt. On Friday, another Ambani company Reliance Communications announced its plans to sell its telecom tower company to private equity firms, Tillman Global and TPG to reduce its debt.   Hyderabad based GMR and GVK are also taking steps to raise funds. On Friday, GMR announced that it is raising $300 million by way of a foreign currency convertible bond.  Similarly, GVK is planning to get an investor for its airport arm. Most debt-heavy companies have been battered on the stock exchanges as investors fear asset sales will pull down future sales and profits.

Banks have also been aggressive with Vijay Mallya, chairman of the UB Group who defaulted on Rs  7,000 crore of loans taken by Kingfisher Airlines and have declared him as a defaulter.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/with-sdr-teeth-banks-move-to-take-over-defaulting-firms-115120400289_1.html