Private Equity players Barings and ChrysCapital and associates will acquire 90 per cent stake in education loan company HDFC Credila Financial Services Ltd (HDFC Credila), from mortgage major HDFC for over Rs 9,060 crore.

Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) in a stock exchange notification said the Corporation has executed definitive documents (On June 19, 2023) for the proposed disinvestment/ sale of about 132.94 million equity shares, representing about 90 per cent of HDFC Credila’s total issued and paid-up capital.

The buyers (acquirers) are Kopvoorn B V, part of the Barings Private Equity Asia (BEPA) EQT group, and Moss Investments, Defati Investments Holding and Infinity Partners are part of the ChrysCapital group, HDFC said.

The closing of the proposed transaction would take place on a date that falls 15 business days from the completion of all conditions precedent (including regulatory approvals) or a date mutually agreed between the parties. The long stop Date is March 31, 2024, HDFC said.

In April 2023, the Reserve Bank of India advised HDFC to bring down its stake in HDFC Credila to 10 per cent within two years from the effective date of the scheme for the merger of mortgage with HDFC Bank.

According to rating agency CRISIL HDFC Credila’s loan book rose to Rs 15,298 crore as on March 31, 2023, from Rs 8,838 crore as on March 31, 2022).

Its scale of operations is moderate. However, the business saw significant growth in fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2022. 

On account of lockdowns related to the pandemic, disbursements were impacted in fiscal 2021, however, disbursements had picked up in fiscal 2022 to Rs 4,309 crore and further to Rs 7,992 crore in Fy23.