RBI liberalises security terms for External Commercial Borrowings- July 08

Under the extant ECB guidelines, the choice of security to be provided to the overseas lender / supplier for securing ECB is left to the borrower. However, creation of charge over immoveable assets and financial securities, such as shares, in favour of the overseas lender is subject to Fema Regulations. Accordingly, proposals for creation of charge on immovable assets, financial securities and issue of corporate or personal guarantees, on behalf of the borrower in favour of the overseas lender, to secure the ECB under automatic / approval route, are considered by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

As a measure of rationalisation of the existing procedures, RBI has allowed on July 11, 2008, AD Category - I banks to convey ‘no objection’ under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 for creation of charge on immovable assets, financial securities and issue of corporate or personal guarantees in favour of overseas lender / security trustee, to secure the ECB to be raised by the borrower.

Before according ‘no objection’ under FEMA, 1999, AD Category - I banks may ensure and satisfy themselves that (i) the underlying ECB is strictly in compliance with the extant ECB guidelines, (ii) there exists a security clause in the Loan Agreement requiring the borrower to create charge on immovable assets / financial securities / furnish corporate or personal guarantee, (iii) the loan agreement has been signed by both the lender and the borrower, and (iv) the borrower has obtained Loan Registration Number (LRN) from the Reserve Bank.

On compliance of the above conditions, AD Category - I banks may convey their ‘no objection’, under FEMA, 1999 for creation of charge on immovable assets, financial securities and issue of personal or corporate guarantee, subject to the conditions indicated in paragraphs 6(a), 6(b) and 6(c), respectively.



(a) Creation of Charge on Immovable Assets

The ‘no objection’ for creation of charge on immovable assets may be conveyed under FEMA, 1999 either in favour of the lender or the security trustee, subject to the following conditions:

(i) ‘No objection’ shall be granted only to a resident ECB borrower.

(ii) The period of such charge on immovable assets has to be co-terminus with the maturity of the underlying ECB.

(iii) Such ‘no objection’ should not be construed as a permission to acquire immovable asset (property) in India, by the overseas lender / security trustee.

(iv) In the event of enforcement / invocation of the charge, the immovable asset (property) will have to be sold only to a person resident in India and the sale proceeds shall be repatriated to liquidate the outstanding ECB.

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