IRFC shares rise 3% as firm eyes higher margins from non-Railway lending
Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) shares surged 3.14% to an intraday high of Rs 121.45 on the BSE on Thursday as the company aims to improve margins by expanding lending beyond railway projects. The newly designated Navratna PSU is exploring financing metro projects and other infrastructure linked to Indian Railways, officials said.
In addition, IRFC is assessing opportunities to refinance loans disbursed by multilateral institutions such as the World Bank. This move is significant given the fluctuations in the cost of dollar-denominated borrowings.
Responding to queries from ET, IRFC Chairman and CEO Manoj Kumar Dubey said, “Widening the lending portfolio will improve our net interest margin (NIM). IRFC has the lowest cost of borrowing among peers.”
According to Dubey, IRFC earns around 40 basis points on loans disbursed to Indian Railways. However, the company expects significantly higher returns—between 200 and 250 basis points—on loans to non-Indian Railways entities.
He also noted that the national transporter can approach IRFC whenever needed for financing requirements. Indian Railways currently owes IRFC around Rs 4.6 lakh crore for rolling stock purchases made over the years.
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