Shares of Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC) will be in focus on Tuesday morning after the housing finance company entered into definitive agreements to sell 132,949,207 equity shares or 90 per cent stake in HDFC Credila to an investor consortium of BPEA EQT and ChrysCapital. The consortium valued HDFC Credila at a pre‐money valuation of Rs 10,350 crore and will infuse primary proceeds of Rs 2,000 crore into the company, HDFC said in a BSE filing. HDFC will receive Rs 9,060 crore from the stake sale. HDFC will continue to remain invested with a stake of 9.99 per cent in HDFC Credila, which is one of the largest non‐bank lenders in the Indian education financing market.
To recall, the RBI had earlier advised that shareholding in HDFC Credila Financial Services, the wholly-owned subsidiary of HDFC, to be brought down to 10 per cent within two years.
Jefferies advised HDFC and HDFC Credila on the largest acquisition in the Indian Financial Services Sector by private equity investors. It was the exclusive financial advisor to HDFC and HDFC Credila on the transaction. The transaction represents the largest ever private equity buyout in the Indian financial services sector. The entire transaction was completed in 54 days.
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Shares of HDFC are flat year-to-date against a 3.27 per cent rise in the BSE Sensex.
Jimmy Mahtani, Partner and Head of BPEA EQT India, commented, “The demand in India for obtaining a higher education is growing at a faster pace than ever, accelerated by our country’s growing middle class and students’ strive for better career opportunities. Coming out of HDFC Group, one of
India’s most respected and well‐established financial conglomerates, HDFC Credila plays a critical part in serving this demand. We have been following HDFC Credila for several years and we are excited to partner with its strong management team led by Arijit Sanyal."
Mahtani said BPEA EQT India welcomes HDFC Group’s decision to retain a 9.99 per cent stake in the business. "We see their continued support as a testament to our vision for the company. Looking ahead, BPEA EQT plans to accelerate HDFC Credila's digital transformation and invest significantly in the Company's continued growth.”
Established in 2006 and headquartered in Mumbai, HDFC Credila is one of India’s premier non‐bank lenders in the education finance space. The NBFC provides education loans to students pursuing higher education in India and overseas. The company has extended loans to over 1.24 lakh customers since inception with the current loan book at over Rs 15,000 crore.
V Srinivasa Rangan, Executive Director, HDFC Limited and Chairman, HDFC Credila Financial Services, said, “We welcome BPEA EQT and ChrysCapital as our partners in HDFC Credila. We look forward to having their valuable support as the company continues to target the large market opportunity in the education financing space while maintaining a high‐quality book delivering profitable growth.”