\n
The banking<\/a> sector, it said, is already struggling with significant asset quality issues and is likely to require hefty capital injections from the government over the next couple of years.
\n
The credit profiles of Indian telcos, it said, are under pressure from fierce competition stemming from Reliance Jio<\/a> Infocomm’s entry last year and rising capex required for the rollout of 4G services.
\n
\nAccording to Fitch, some companies could find it difficult to service their debt, which is why, the outlook for the sector is negative.
\n
The global rating agency also expects debt servicing pressure to be most severe at Reliance Communications, (RCom<\/a>), and expects similar problems for Aircel<\/a> and the Tata<\/a>’s group’s telecom businesses (including Tata Teleservices), Nitin Soni<\/a>, director at Fitch Ratings said.
\n
\n“Aircel is in the process of merging its wireless operation with RCom, but the combined entity will still have limited pricing power and high leverage that will constrain its ability to strengthen its network position. We expect both companies to remain under pressure,” Fitch Ratings said in an official statement.
\n
\nIndian banks, it said, already have significant asset quality issues that could be made worse by stress in the telecom sector. However, total debt owed by telcos to banks is only Rs 91,300 crore ($14 billion), accounting for just 1.4% of all bank loans, according to the Reserve Bank of India.
\n
\nAccording to Fitch, banks’ exposure to other troubled sectors is much larger. Lending to iron and steel companies, for example, accounts for 4.7% of total lending. The power sector accounts for 8.7% and the road sector for 2.7%. Loans to telcos, on the contrary, are also generally backed by spectrum assets, which should provide a better chance of recovery than, for example, a steel factory operating below capacity or a power plant that lacks a power purchase agreement. But that said, the sale of spectrum assets might take longer than banks expect and not fetch full value, given that the top-three telcos now have sufficient spectrum to run their operations for the medium term.
\n
Fitch also said that not all telcos face financial difficulties. “Market leader, Bharti Airtel<\/a>, is likely to meet repayments comfortably on the over $1 billion that it owes to banks. Vodafone<\/a> and Idea<\/a> Cellular too are in the process of merging their operations, which will give the new entity a market-leading share,” it said.
\n
\nAccording to the global rating agency, Idea's balance sheet is stretched, but the combined company is unlikely to experience serious problems in servicing its debt.
\n
\nFitch’s Soni said the risk of Tata’s telecom business group companies missing payments “is mitigated by the potential for its parent, the Tata Group, injecting equity.
\n
\nHowever, Soni believes state-run BSNL and MTNL, are likely to be in weaker positions, although nearly all their debt is owed to the government.<\/body>","next_sibling":[{"msid":59012021,"title":"Look who is back to say Hello to Indian Orkut fans","entity_type":"ARTICLE","link":"\/news\/look-who-is-back-to-say-hello-to-indian-orkut-fans\/59012021","category_name":null,"category_name_seo":"telecomnews"}],"related_content":[],"msid":59012797,"entity_type":"ARTICLE","title":"Indian banks' exposure to telcos not\nlarge enough to pose systemic threat but defaults may hit weaker banks: Fitch","synopsis":"The banking sector, it said, is already struggling with significant asset quality issues and is likely to require hefty capital injections from the government over the next couple of years.","titleseo":"telecomnews\/indian-banks-exposure-to-telcos-not-large-enough-to-pose-systemic-threat-but-defaults-may-hit-weaker-banks-fitch","status":"ACTIVE","authors":[],"Alttitle":{"minfo":""},"artag":"ETTelecom","artdate":"2017-06-06 10:42:53","lastupd":"2020-01-06 13:36:00","breadcrumbTags":["Fitch","3G\/4G","Jio","Airtel","telcom","aircel","idea","RCom","Tata","Nitin Soni","Vodafone","Banking"],"secinfo":{"seolocation":"telecomnews\/indian-banks-exposure-to-telcos-not-large-enough-to-pose-systemic-threat-but-defaults-may-hit-weaker-banks-fitch"}}" data-news_link="//www.iser-br.com/news/indian-banks-exposure-to-telcos-not-large-enough-to-pose-systemic-threat-but-defaults-may-hit-weaker-banks-fitch/59012797">