The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has given the green light for Banking Units (BUs) to transfer assets. This can now be done with other financial institutions, Indian residents, and overseas residents using internationally recognised standard risk participation agreements. This move is expected to encourage more foreign currency asset transactions within IFSC.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) today allowed Banking Units (BUs) to transfer assets to/from other financial institutions, persons resident in India and persons resident outside India through any internationally recognised standard risk participation agreement.
Transfer of assets through the risk participation agreement route is a common practice in many jurisdictions especially in the field of trade finance. Such risk participation is undertaken as a bilateral contract under a standard document called a risk participation agreement between the two institutions (buying and selling entity). One of the common standard risk participation agreement is the Master Risk Participation Agreement (MRPA) developed by the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade (BAFT).
The above dispensation is expected to encourage risk participation of foreign currency assets through BUs in IFSC instead of banks in foreign jurisdictions.
FAQ :
The IFSCA has permitted Banking Units (BUs) to transfer assets to and from other financial institutions, persons resident in India, and persons resident outside India.
Asset transfers can occur through any internationally recognised standard risk participation agreement.
Yes, transferring assets through risk participation agreements is a common practice in many jurisdictions, particularly in trade finance.
A risk participation agreement is a bilateral contract between two institutions, a buying and a selling entity, used for undertaking risk participation.
This decision is expected to encourage the participation of foreign currency assets through BUs in IFSC, rather than through banks in foreign jurisdictions.