Ground ready for new options to resolve stressed assets: IBBI chief

 

The ground seems to be ready to experiment new options for resolution of stress and the market is anticipating a hybrid framework between a court-supervised insolvency framework and an out-of-court restructuring schemes, IBBI Chairperson M S Sahoo has said.

The ground seems to be ready to experiment new options for resolution of stress and the market is anticipating a hybrid framework between a court-supervised insolvency framework and an out-of-court restructuring schemes, IBBI Chairperson M S Sahoo has said.

In place for more than four years, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) is helping in resolution of stressed assets in a market-linked and time-bound manner, and the proposal for "pre-pack" framework is also in the works.

"Since some tasks of an insolvency proceeding are completed before the formal process begins, and some elements of formal process are avoided, pre-pack saves both on costs and time," Sahoo told PTI.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), a key institution in implementing the IBC, has also taken various steps to address difficulties of stakeholders concerned.

According to him, insolvency regimes in most jurisdictions are not designed to address delinquencies arising from the COVID-19-like crisis when several viable businesses simultaneously fail to stand on their feet for force majeure conditions. Also, the availability of resolution applicants to rescue them remains a concern.

"This has highlighted the need for pre-pack which is considered fast, cost efficient and effective in resolution of stress, with the least business disruptions.

In an e-mail interview, Sahoo also pointed out that with considerable learning and maturity of the ecosystem, and a reasonably fair debtor-creditor relationship in place, the ground seems ready to experiment new options for resolution of stress.