IDFC gets RBI nod for using Rs 2,500 crore reserve as provision

New Delhi: Infrastructure finance firm IDFC on Saturday said it has got regulatory approval to utilise Rs 2,500 crore non-distributable reserves for provisions against bad loans as part of exercise to clean its book before venturing into universal banking.

The regulator has now granted the approval to utilise non-distributable Statutory Reserves up to Rs 2,500 crore for creation of specific provisions against stressed assets, IDFC said in a BSE filing.

"These additional provisions are being created after a careful examination of the stressed assets portfolio and in accordance with our philosophy of prudent risk management and transparency," it said.

These provisions are far in excess of the regulatory requirement and exceptional in nature as indicated in our investor call post our quarterly results for quarter ended June 30, it said.

In an earlier filing, IDFC had said that it will make an additional provision in the second quarter of this fiscal against coal and gas power assets, as it transitions into a bank by the end of the period.

IDFC said with these additional provisions, its net worth will reduce by approximately Rs 1,600 crore.

It said that the volume of net restructured assets, non- performing assets (NPAs) and security receipts (SRs) as of June 30, 2015 was 8.4 percent of its loan book.

"Almost 80 percent of our risks relate to coal and gas-based assets," it had said.

In line with generally accepted accounting principles, these additional provisions will be charged to the Statement of Profit and Loss in the current quarter resulting in a significant one-time loss for the period, it said.

However, this will not impact the distributable profits since an equivalent amount will be transferred from the non distributable statutory reserves, as approved by the regulator, it added.