IDFC, which has been issued a banking license is reported to be planning to offload loans worth Rs 5,000 crore given to power and road projects in order to meet regulatory requirements as it readies to become a bank. The firm is expected to cut down its exposure to to infrastructure over the next 18 months to help reduce its priority sector loan liability. In this process, it plans to sell the loans to other banks or financial institutions while transferring a portion to its proposed infrastructure debt fund subsidiary. However, an IDFC spokesperson denied the report. But, according to sources, IDFC will have to sell some of its infrastructure loans, which will give it some relief in maintenance of priority sector loans. Earlier, Rajiv Lall, executive chairman of IDFC, who is expected to take over as managing director of the new bank, had mentioned that IDFC will trim its infrastructure exposure. RBI stipulates that banks keep 23% of their loans in government bonds and set aside 4% under the CRR. This will put pressure on IDFC, which may need more than Rs 15,000 crore to meet the regulations when it turns into a bank.
