Adani Group closes in on $3.5 billion loan to refinance existing debt

By Saikat Das

Billionaire Gautam Adani-controlled Adani Group is closing in on a $3.5 billion loan to refinance existing debt that was taken out to fund the purchase of Ambuja Cements Ltd., in what would be the latest sign of confidence among creditors in the conglomerate.

 

The deal, which would be among the top 10 biggest loans in Asia this year, could be sealed this week, according to people familiar with matter, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private.  

The loan would likely be priced at 450-500 basis points all-in-costs over the benchmark secured overnight finance rate, they said. The deal will comprise three tenors: 6-month, 18-month and 3-year, as Bloomberg News had previously reported.   

An Adani Group representative didn’t immediately respond to an email outside of business hours in India. 

The financing comes after months of negotiations with banks and follows allegations of fraud by US shortseller Hindenburg Research that caused the company’s bonds and shares to plunge earlier in the year. Adani has strongly denied those claims.   

The group’s flagship firm already raised 12.5 billion rupees ($151 million) by issuing local-currency bonds in July, as the company sought to put the Hindenburg claims behind it.