Patanjali secures Rs 3,200 cr loan from banks to buy Ruchi Soya

Ruchi Soya Industries Share

Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved on November 29 said it has already tied up loan worth Rs 3,200 crore from a consortium of lenders led by State Bank of India to fund its acquisition of Ruchi Soya through insolvency process. In September, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the resolution plan of Patanjali Ayurved to acquire debt-laden Ruchi Soya.

"The company has already secured required total debt from a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India," Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna said in a statement.

Patanjali also said it has got loans of Rs 1,200 crore from SBI, Rs 700 crore from Punjab National Bank, Rs 600 crore from Union Bank of India, Rs 400 crore from Syndicate Bank and Rs 300 crore from Allahabad Bank.

Ruchi Soya went into the insolvency in December 2017.

NCLT had admitted the insolvency plea filed by two lead financial creditors Standard Chartered Bank and DBS Bank. However, later, Singapore-based DBS Bank became dissenting creditor and approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal challenging the distribution of proceeds from the bid submitted by Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurveda.

Ruchi Soya told the NCLT that resolution applicant Patanjali group will infuse Rs 204.75 crore as equity and Rs 3,233.36 crore as debt.

The amounts will be infused into a special purpose vehicle (SPV), Patanjali Consortium Adhigrahan Pvt Ltd, which will be later amalgamated with Ruchi Soya.

Another Rs 900 crore will be infused by the Patanjali group through subscription of non-convertible debentures and preference shares in the SPV. It will also provide a credit guarantee of nearly Rs 12 crore.

On April 30 this year, a committee of creditors had approved Patanjali group's Rs 4,350 crore resolution plan to take over Ruchi Soya. Lenders will have to take a haircut of around 60 per cent.

Shailendra Ajmera of EY was appointed as resolution professional to manage the company's affairs and conduct insolvency proceedings.