SBI launches Rs 7,000 crore stressed assets fund with Brookfield

Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) SBI and Brookfield Asset Management have set up a joint venture (JV) with initial commitment of over $1 billion to make investments in businesses with stressed assets.

Brookfield will commit around Rs 7,000 crore and SBI up to 5 per cent of the total investments into stressed assets, the state-owned bank said in a statement.

"This approach of collaborating with global players will enable the banks in general and SBI in particular, to find alternate solution for resolution of stressed assets," Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said in the statement.

The JV will evaluate and invest in various stressed assets, relying upon Brookfield's operational expertise to manage recapitalised businesses.

Bhattacharya said such an approach will be more acceptable to both the lenders and the borrowers in cases where the promoters are not able to infuse funds and lenders are reluctant to take additional exposure.

At a later stage, the JV may seek participation from other lenders in the identified assets, the bank said.

State Bank of India