FEMA - External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) Policy - Structured Obligations
AT present, credit enhancement is permitted to be provided by multilateral / regional financial institutions, Government owned development financial institutions, direct/indirect foreign equity holder(s) under the automatic route for domestic debt raised through issue of capital market instruments, such as, Rupee denominated bonds and debentures, by Indian companies engaged exclusively in the development of infrastructure (as defined under the extant ECB policy) and by Infrastructure Finance Companies (IFCs), which have been classified as such by the Reserve Bank.
On a review, it has been decided that credit enhancement can be provided by eligible non-resident entities to the domestic debt raised through issue of INR bonds/ debentures by all borrowers eligible to raise ECB under the automatic route. It has also been decided to reduce the minimum average maturity of the underlying debt instruments from seven years to three years. Prepayment and call/put options, however, would not be permissible for such capital market instruments up to an average maturity period of 3 years.
RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.120, Dated: June 26, 2013