IDBI Bank Privatisation: India To Hold Roadshows In U.S. Despite Lukewarm Interest

Officials from India's finance ministry will begin roadshows with investors in the U.S., despite the lukewarm response to the divestment process of IDBI Bank Ltd., according to two government officials.

While two American institutional investors have backed out, the Union Ministry of Finance will hold investor meets in the U.S. starting June 1, said the officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the matter is confidential.

The central government is pressing ahead with IDBI Bank's privatisation despite Life Insurance Corp.'s lukewarm debut after it reduced its IPO issue size. Uncertainty in global markets due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and withdrawal by foreign investors making it difficult to pool in money. That also increases the risk of missing the divestment target again. The government has already called off the process to privatise Bharat Petroleum Corp.

Earlier his month, two U.S.-based firms who were in talks with the Indian government regarding the bank's stake sale backed out as they did not find the deal lucrative enough, according to the first official quoted above.

Roadshows offer an opportunity for potential bidders to look into balance sheets and speak with a firm's top executives. Secretaries from the Department of Financial Services, Department of Public Asset Management and top LIC officials will be part of the IDBI Bank meets with investors.

The exact percentage of stake sale will be finalised after the roadshows are concluded, depending on investor interest, the first official said. Till now, mostly institutional investors have shown interest, he said.

The central government holds 45.48% stake in IDBI Bank, while LIC owns 49.24%.

The expression of interest and its structure will be floated in June once the roadshows are completed, said the second government official quoted earlier. There is no confirmation on whether the sale will be concluded in the current calendar year, but the government is moving with full force, the official said.

In May 2021, the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs approved disinvestment and transfer of management control of IDBI Bank. It became a subsidiary of LIC starting Jan. 21, 2019.

The central government had set a target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore as proceeds from disinvestment in the financial year 2021-22, which was later revised to Rs 78,000 crore. The government had managed to mop up only Rs 33,000 crore in the preceding financial year, against a target of Rs 2.10 lakh crore.

The government has set itself a target of Rs 65,000 crore in fiscal year 2023. In the current fiscal, the government has raised Rs 24,046.4 crore, including Rs 20,516.12 crore from the LIC IPO.

IDBI Bank's profit rose 35% over a year earlier in the quarter ended March 2022 due to a fall in bad loan provisions, according to a statement issued on May 2. For the full financial year 2021-22, the bank's net profit rose 79% to Rs 2,439 crore.