‘Greenium’ To Be Commanded By India’s First Green Bond Sale: Report
Two government sources claim that the Indian government has identified projects worth 400 billion rupees ($4.92 billion) that could be paid for with the profits. It plans to issue its first green bonds at a “greenium,” with yields lower than those now available on the market.
The first tranche of 80 billion rupees, which the government hopes to sell at auction on Wednesday, is part of a 160 billion rupee green bond fundraising effort for the current fiscal year that ends on March 31.
The money would go toward “green” initiatives like solar, wind, and small hydropower projects as well as other government initiatives that assist lower the carbon footprint of the economy.
The government expects a green premium, or “greenium,” on costs to push rates 5–10 basis points (bps) below sovereign bonds, based on the positive response and interest from both local and international buyers.
The expectation of a green premium is due to the “greenium” that issuers have globally, according to one of the two insiders. The top 50 foreign portfolio investors (FPI) met with the Indian Ministry of Finance in December, and according to the sources, interest was evident. Those who were subject to green mandates asked especially about domestic registration obligations.
There will be no FPI limits on these securities, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced on Monday. Reuters sent a request for comments through email, but the Ministry of Finance did not reply.
“The requirements to invest in these securities should result in a premium for green bonds. Due to the nature, there may be some strong demand at first, but the outstanding (amount) will be pretty little initially “Ashish Agrawal, head of FX and EM macro strategy research for Asia at Barclays, said.
The RBI will hold auctions for two different lengths of green bonds, five and ten years, each costing 40 billion rupees. The work on the government’s five-year bond for 2027 was 7.38%, and the yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was 7.35%.
Since domestic banks and mutual funds do not have a clear green mandate, Ritesh Bhusari, deputy general manager for Finance at the private South Indian Bank, believes that demand from these institutions may be modest.
He stated, “These securities may potentially be illiquid due to the small number of securities being issued at first.”
Described Projects of Greenium
According to the sources, the initiatives mentioned exceed the current fiscal’s fundraising goal by more than two and a half times. They said that this way if the chosen projects are unable to use the funds this year, the money can be distributed to other endeavours.
The bonds comply with the principles of green bonds, according to proxy advisory firm IiAS, which last week also recommended greater transparency regarding project implementation schedules and the assessment of specific projects’ social and environmental risks.
The recommendation is that the nomination of an outside auditor for the use of green bond monies is overseen by the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General).
Projects have been categorised into “dark green” and “medium green” groups. Urban development, transportation, and renewable energy sources are some of these industries.
Based on a universal framework, the categories are ranked and prioritised.
The framework unveiled by the government in November states that investors do not incur any project-related risks and that the interest and principal payments of the bonds are not dependent on the success of the projects.
India will launch a $2 billion green bond auction to test the market.
India’s inaugural auction this month, which wants to collect $2 billion for sustainable projects, is a test of the waters for a slow global green bond market. The desire for a big “green” has been made apparent by Indian officials “Getting enough foreign investors to buy the rupee-denominated debt is necessary for the sale to cut the country’s borrowing rates.
The monetary policy tightening that affected issuance and the backlash against asset managers for alleged greenwashing caused green bond sales to decline last year for the first time in a decade.
According to data provided by Bloomberg, businesses and governments raised $863 billion in green, social, and sustainability-linked bonds globally in 2022, a 19% decrease from the record $1.1 trillion in 2021.
At least two governments have used the green bond market thus far this year, with Hong Kong selling $5.8 billion in debt across three different currencies. To sell €3.5 billion worth of 20-year bonds, Ireland received orders of €35 billion ($37 billion).
People with knowledge of the matter claim that India is making its first sovereign green bond more appealing to some of the country’s major domestic asset managers, including government-run insurers and pension funds as well as foreign investors from Japan to the UK. We might observe a healthy degree of interest, especially from domestic investors,
“Nicole Lim, fixed income ESG analyst at plc in Singapore, cited the general macroeconomic climate, which included increasing rates and inflation.
The tables below provide context for the green bond issued by India and show how it fits within the country’s climate ambitions. In two auctions scheduled for January 25 and February 9, India intends to sell the debt. Slowing Market
For the first time since the emerging market caught the attention of top asset managers in 2022, green bond issuance decreased.
The Green Mandates
India may have joined the Asian green bond market later than most other countries, but outside of Europe, sovereign issuers remain a privileged group. That would increase the sale’s appeal to overseas investors with a green mandate despite the currency rate risks associated with a rupee-denominated bond.
Sustainable Goals
India, a country that depends more than half of its energy needs on fossil fuels, established goals for renewable energy that will require raising adequate finance at a cheap cost.
Adaptation Deficit
The proceeds from the sale might be utilised to increase the capacity for renewable energy sources as well as to construct infrastructure that will be more tolerant of adverse weather conditions and rising temperatures. Compared to mitigation, which tries to cut emissions, funding for climate adaptation has fallen far short of the 2015 Paris Agreement’s need for a 50-50 share.
Market in Subtle
Due to a lack of local ESG debt funds, Indian corporate issuers haven’t always thought it was worthwhile to spend the money and time to have their debt certified as green. It might alter if a sovereign bond becomes a clear benchmark, which might attract more investor interest. This debt, largely for renewable energy projects, has been issued by Indian companies for a total of more than $26 billion.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
