Indian Overseas Bank has received approval from its board to raise Rs 10,000 crores through the issuance of long-term infrastructure bonds. The funds will be used to finance and refinance infrastructure and affordable housing projects. This move is part of the bank’s strategy to cope with the intense competition for deposits in the current financial year. Other public sector banks, such as Bank of Maharashtra and Punjab National Bank, have also raised funds through long-term infrastructure bonds in recent months.
The funds raised through these bonds can be used only for lending to infrastructure and affordable housing projects, as per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules. The maturity period of these bonds must be at least seven years. Long-term bonds are a cheaper source of funds for banks, as the funds raised through these bonds are exempt from regulatory reserve requirements such as cash reserve ratio and statutory liquidity ratio.
The approval to raise funds through long-term infrastructure bonds is a significant step forward for Indian Overseas Bank, which will enable it to support the growth of infrastructure and affordable housing in the country. The bank’s strategy to raise funds through long-term infrastructure bonds demonstrates its commitment to supporting the country’s economic growth and development.