‘Business interest not driven by PMC Bank alone’

Jaspal Bindra

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may have paved the way for the resolution of PMC Bank by granting an in-principle approval for small finance Bank (SFB) to Centrum Financial Services, but its executive chairman Jaspal Bindra says the business interest was not driven by PMC Bank alone. In an Interview with Ankur Mishra, he says the new bank is going to have all of the Centrum’s NBFC business, a good portion of BharatPe’s business, and PMC will also fold into the bank. He also says PMC Bank depositors will have to wait for clarity till the amalgamation scheme is finalised by the regulator. Excerpts:

What has been the reason for showing interest in PMC Bank?

We looked at it on a standalone basis and thought it (PMC Bank) is resolvable. We basically wanted to find a resolution which was better than liquidation for the lender. Our business interest was not driven by PMC Bank alone. We have looked at it as a bank which will also have PMC as a component. The new bank is going to have all of the Centrum’s NBFC business, a good portion of BharatPe’s business, and PMC will also fold into the bank. The reason for looking for a banking licence was to get a deposit franchise.

What was your proposal for the resolution of PMC Bank?

We are putting in some amount of capital. Now it is for RBI to draft a scheme and the government of India to approve it.

How much capital you are going to put into the new bank?

We have underwritten Rs 1,800 crore between partners (CFS and BharatPe), before we start diluting. Whether we dilute or not, Rs 1,800 crore is underwritten by us, of which Rs 500 crore will be there on Day one. Another Rs400 crore will be there within the first year, and other Rs900 crore will be available on tap from the partners. We will increase it as and when required depending on the growth of the business.

How will the procedure of acquiring PMC Bank work out?

Before we can amalgamate the PMC Bank, we will have to be an operational bank. Under Section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, one can only prepare a merger scheme between two banks and therefore the process will start only once we have been converted into a bank. So, you need to necessarily become a bank first. Then an amalgamation scheme will be proposed to the government of India and then final notification will come after approvals.

How soon can we see small finance bank shaping up?

Our effort is to do as soon as possible, but there is some procedural time in terms of an EGM has to be called, and we have to incorporate our company. Some of these timelines are beyond our control. However, we are hoping to complete it as soon as possible. It will definitely happen within 120 days timeline.

You would have gone through the latest balance sheet of PMC Bank in detail. What are the immediate pain points and how you are going to deal with it?

In terms of pain points, there is a negative net worth and that is an issue in any financial institution. How I am going to deal with it? I cannot tell, because a lot of it will depend on what gets approved in the amalgamation scheme. So, the biggest pain point is the negative net worth which was created due to poor management and fraudulent transactions in the lending side. Otherwise, the bank was well known for good service. And that is what is really hurting depositors, because their money got misused.

What should PMC Bank depositors expect from new owners What is your intent to deal with depositors?

The intent is to start, we must get to a point which is better than liquidation. How much that will be dependent on the scheme.

Was there any discussion with RBI on PMC depositors?

Till this time, the clock was on standstill for PMC Bank depositors, and now at least the clock has started. Now, the question for depositors is when and how much they will be able to withdraw? I think after getting the licence we will be in position to discuss it with RBI.

How will you control PMC depositors moving out of the bank? What is the strategy there?

We will not want to stop PMC depositors. However, we will convince them that there is a new management and a new set-up. We will be able to manage things better. We will try that to an extent that is possible. However, one of the reasons we have been given licence is that if somebody calls for money, we will have to pay.

Is there any incentive you have planned for the depositors?

Over the next four months, we will be giving a thought to these kinds of things to create some incentives. Is there a way we can create some financial incentives? We will work on that. SFBs anyway pay higher than the market even today to depositors.