NEW DELHI. Power Finance Corporation Limited has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Central Public Sector Undertaking and the first non-banking financial company in India to successfully tap the international bond market following the Reserve Bank of India’s recent announcement of a swap facility in its latest monetary policy statement. The Maharatna infrastructure finance giant raised USD 300 million through a senior unsecured dollar-denominated bond issuance under the Reg S route. The five-year bonds were priced at 105 basis points over the benchmark five-year US Treasury, securing a fixed coupon of 5.32% per annum amidst robust demand from major European and Asian markets.
Reflecting on the achievement, Power Finance Corporation Chairman and Managing Director, Ms. Parminder Chopra expressed satisfaction at leading the public sector response to the central bank’s new facility. She noted that the successful issuance directly supports the Government of India’s broader objective to attract foreign capital into the country’s development. Chopra added that the strong investor appetite demonstrates global confidence in the financial institution’s robust credit profile, sound business model, and the overall growth trajectory of the Indian power and infrastructure landscape.
The high-profile issuance has been rated Baa3 by Moody’s, BBB- by Fitch, and BBB+ by CareEdge, reinforcing the market’s trust in the public sector lender’s financial stability. According to the regulatory framework, the net proceeds from this international bond sale will be deployed strategically for on-lending to vital power and infrastructure projects across the nation, as well as for general corporate purposes. This landmark transaction sets a positive precedent for other major Indian state-owned enterprises looking to optimize their borrowing costs via international markets.
