Reliance Industries selling 17% stake in Jio Platforms in one month to help pare half its net debt: Moody's

New Delhi: Reliance Industries selling over 17 percent stake in its digital unit Jio Platforms for a combined Rs 78,562 crore in one month will help pare about half of its net debt of Rs 1.61 lakh crore, Moody’s Investors Service said on Friday. The credit rating agency comment came on a day when Reliance announced the sale of 2.32 percent stake in Jio Platforms to global investment firm KKR & Co. Inc for Rs 11,367 crore – the fifth deal in four weeks that will inject a combined Rs 78,562 crore in the oil-to-telecom conglomerate to help it pare debt. “Proceeds from these divestments alone will help the company pare around 49 percent of its net debt of Rs 1.61 lakh crore outstanding as of 31 March, 2020,” Moody’s said in an issuer note. Exactly a month back, Facebook picked up 9.99 percent stake in the firm that houses India’s youngest but largest telecom company for Rs 43,574 crore. [caption id=“attachment_4572901” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] Within days of that deal, Silver Lake – the world’s largest tech investor – bought 1.15 percent stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 5,665.75 crore. On 8 May, US-based Vista Equity Partners bought 2.32 percent stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 11,367 crore and on May 17 global equity firm General Atlantic picked up 1.34 percent stake for Rs 6,598.38 crore. “These divestments are credit positive because proceeds from sales of the stakes will be used for debt reduction and bring the company closer to its target of reducing its net debt to zero by March 2021,” Moody’s said. All the transactions are currently underway and subject to regulatory and other approvals. “Successful completion of the transactions will help to alleviate the negative impact of lower earnings caused by disruptions from the coronavirus outbreak,” it added. The rating agency expects a 16-17 percent drop in Reliance’s consolidated EBITDA for the fiscal year ending 31 March, 2021, compared to fiscal 2020. While EBITDA for the company’s digital services segment will continue to grow during the coronavirus outbreak, it expects EBITDA for the refining and petrochemical segments to be weaker as a standstill in global travel and slowdown in economic activity will weaken the demand for transportation fuel and petrochemicals. “As a result, we expect RIL’s leverage, as measured by adjusted net debt/EBITDA, to remain appropriately positioned for its current rating,” it said. Other steps taken by the company to reduce its net debt to zero include the partial divestment of its oil-to-chemical business ($15 billion) and fuel retailing business ($1 billion) to Saudi Aramco and BP Plc, respectively. In addition, Reliance hanced a rights issue offering to raise around Rs 53,215 crore and use the proceeds toward debt reduction, it added. (Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd which publishes Firstpost)