Jaypee Group's flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates defaults on Rs 4,044 cr loans, including principal, interest amount

Crisis-hit Jaypee Group's flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) on July 7 informed that the firm defaulted on loans worth Rs 4,044 crore, including principal and interest amount.

Jaiprakash Associates informed that the company on June 30 defaulted on repayments of a principal amount of Rs 1,660 crore and interest of Rs 2,384 crore. According to the details, the loans pertained to various banks, and the nature of the obligation is fund-based working capital, non-fund-based working capital, term loans and FCCB (foreign currency convertible bonds).

"The total borrowing (including interest) of the company is Rs 29,477 crore, repayable by 2037, against which only Rs 4,044 crore is overdue as on June 30, 2023," JAL said.

"Out of the said borrowing of Rs 29,477 crore, Rs 18,319 crore will get further reduced on transfer to the proposed Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for which the Scheme of Arrangement duly approved by all the stakeholders, is pending sanction of NCLT. The entire loan is in any case under restructuring," it added in its filing.

The entire loan is in any case under restructuring, it added.

The company said it has been taking tangible steps to reduce the borrowings.

"Post the proposed divestment of Cement Business and the restructuring under consideration, the borrowing will get almost to nil upon implementation of revised restructuring plan," it said.

Meanwhile, JAL also said that ICICI Bank had approached the NCLT Allahabad on the direction of the RBI under section 7 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 against the company. It has contested the move.

"The matter is pending to be decided simultaneously with the Scheme of Arrangement for transfer of real estate to the SPV to be sanctioned by the NCLT," the filing said.

Earlier in September 2018, ICICI Bank filed an insolvency petition against JAL. The country's biggest lender SBI has also moved the NCLT against JAL, claiming a total default of Rs 6,893.15 crore as of September 15, 2022.

JAL and its group firms recently announced the sale of its remaining cement assets to Dalmia Bharat Ltd at an enterprise value of Rs 5,666 crore and exit from the sector as part of its strategy to reduce debt. It had sold more than 20 million tonnes per annum cement capacity to Aditya Birla group firm UltraTech Cement between 2014 and 2017 as part of its debt resolution exercise.

In March, Mumbai-based realty firm Suraksha Group got approval from the NCLT for its bid to acquire JIL and complete around 20,000 apartments in Noida.

Many parties have approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) against the NCLT order.

Also Read: Delegation of Indian CEOs expected to visit France during PM Modi’s trip