Consultation Paper On LODR
Consultation Paper On LODR
Consultation Paper On LODR
The objective of this consultation paper is to seek comments on the changes proposed in the SEBI
(Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (hereinafter referred as
LODR Regulations) with respect to listed companies which have listed its Non-convertible debt
securities (NCDs) or Non-convertible redeemable preference shares (NCRPS) or both.
2. Introduction:
LODR Regulations were notified on September 02, 2015. The said Regulations, inter-alia, provide
for principles governing various disclosures and obligations of listed entities. Chapter V of the
said Regulations lays down obligations of listed entity which has listed its NCDs or NCRPS or both,
whereas Chapter VI casts obligations on listed entity which has listed its specified securities and
either NCDs or NCRPS or both. Also, Regulation 63 of Chapter VI prescribes that all provisions of
chapter IV and certain Regulations of Chapter V shall apply to entities which have listed both its
specified securities as well as NCDs and/or NCRPS.
It has been proposed to review the SEBI LODR regulations for the reasons as mentioned below:
2.1. SEBI is in receipt of feedback and representations, from various stakeholders across the
market, expressing difficulties in complying with various provisions of SEBI LODR
Regulations, some of which are reportedly repetitive, unwarranted and also
cumbersome to comply with. It is felt that keeping this in view, a review is necessary in
order to ensure ease of compliance on the part of the issuers who have listed their debt
securities.
2.2. Further, in recent years there has been a spate of incidents regarding non-compliance
with the SEBI LODR Regulations by the issuers of debts securities.
Therefore, in order to ensure safeguard of interest of investors, a need has been felt to
review and strengthen the SEBI LODR Regulations wherever necessary pertaining to NCDs
and NCRPS.
Page 1 of 17
3. Review of LODR Regulations:
The provisions which are proposed to be reviewed in this paper are as under:
3.1.1.1. Regulation 50(1): Listed entity shall give prior intimation to the stock
exchange(s) at least eleven working days before the date on and from which
the interest and redemption amount is payable on debentures, bonds and
redeemable shares.
3.1.1.2. Regulation 50(2): Listed entity shall, prior to issuance of NCDs or NCRPS,
intimate the stock exchange(s) about its intention to raise funds through these
securities which it proposes to list either through a public issue or on private
placement basis. Further, the above intimation may be given prior to the
meeting of board of directors wherein the proposal to raise funds through
these securities shall be considered.
3.1.1.3. Regulation 50(3): Listed entity shall intimate to the stock exchange(s), at least
two working days in advance of the meeting of its board of directors, at which
the recommendation or declaration of issue of NCDs or any other matter
affecting the rights or interests of holders of NCDs/NCRPs is proposed to be
considered.
Regulation 57(4): A listed entity shall within 5 working days prior to the
beginning of the quarter provide details for all the non-convertible debt
Page 2 of 17
securities and/or non-convertible redeemable preference shares for which
interest/dividend shall be payable or redeemable during the quarter.
Regulation 57(5): The listed entity shall within 2 working days from end of the
quarter provide a certificate confirming about payment of interest or dividend
or principal obligations for NCDs/ NCRPS which were due as per Regulation
57(4).
The listed entity shall also intimate complete list of non-payment of interest or
dividend or principal obligations for NCDs/ NCRPS which were due as per Regulation
57(4) and all such dues for the period before.
Rationale:It has been pointed out by the market participants that due dates of
payment of interest and redemption of principal are part of Information
memorandum circulated to investors as this document is submitted to the
stock exchanges at the time of listing. Further, certain listed entities,
particularly, the finance companies have multiple tranches of securities
outstanding at any particular point of time. Therefore, it would be cumbersome
for them to provide separate intimation for each of the tranches under
Regulation 50(1). Also repeated intimation by the listed entity, to the stock
exchange, about its intention to raise funds through NCDs or NCRPS, prior to
every meeting of the board of directors makes the compliance process very
cumbersome for such listed entities.
3.1.2.1. Regulation 50(2): It is proposed to delete this Regulation and make the
provisions of this Regulation more inclusive and make it a part of disclosures to
be made under Regulation 51.
Rationale: It is felt that disclosure under this Regulation may not be of much
relevance to the debt holders and/or preference shareholders.
3.1.2.2. Regulation 50(3): It is proposed to delete this Regulation and make the
provisions of this Regulation as part of disclosures to be made under Regulation
51.
Rationale: This would ease compliance on the part of the issuers, without
compromising on the availability of information to the investors.
Page 3 of 17
3.2. Disclosure of information having bearing on performance/operation of listed entity
and/or price sensitive information:
3.2.1.1. Regulation 51(1) and Regulation 51(2): Regulation 51(1) and (2) read with Part
B of schedule III to the LODR Regulations provides that the listed entity shall
promptly inform the stock exchange(s) of all information having bearing on the
performance/operation of the listed entity, price sensitive information or any
action that shall affect payment of interest or dividend or redemption of NCRPS
or NCDs. The detailed list of such events/ information has been provided in
Part B of Schedule III of LODR Regulations.
3.2.2.1. The listed entity shall first disclose to stock exchange(s) of all events, as
specified in revised Part B of Schedule III, or information as soon as
reasonably possible but not later than the time indicated for the specific
events.
3.2.2.2. The listed entity shall, with respect to disclosures referred to in this
Regulation, make disclosures updating material developments on a regular
basis, till such time the event is resolved/closed, with relevant explanations.
3.2.2.3. The listed entity shall provide specific and adequate reply to all queries
raised by stock exchange(s) with respect to any events or information
Page 4 of 17
3.2.2.4. The listed entity suo moto, may confirm or deny any reported event or
information to stock exchange(s).
3.2.2.5. The listed entity may disclose on its website all such events or information
which has been disclosed to stock exchange(s) under this Regulation, and such
disclosures may be hosted on the website of the listed entity for a minimum
period of five years and thereafter as per the archival policy of the listed entity,
as disclosed on its website.
Page 5 of 17
(8) Any proposal or action for changing the terms of issue or redemption or
both;
(9) Any proposal or action with respect to exercising call/put option (right to
redeem) or any similar option by the listed entity;
(10) Any proposal or action of listed entity which shall result in the redemption,
conversion, cancellation, retirement in whole or in part of any non-
convertible debt securities or reduction, redemption, cancellation,
retirement in whole or in part of any non-convertible redeemable
preference shares;
(11) Periodic rating obtained from credit rating agency or any revision in the
rating or any expected revision in rating;
(12) Delay or failure to create charge on the assets within the stipulated time
for non-convertible debt securities;
(13) Any attachment or prohibitory orders restraining the listed entity from
transferring non-convertible debt securities or non-convertible redeemable
preference shares;
(14) Any proposal to change or change or breach of any covenants under the
terms of NCDs and/or NCRPS;
(15) Any proposal or action for forfeiture of unclaimed interest or dividend or
principal amount or forfeiture of any non-convertible debt securities
and/or non-convertible redeemable preference shares;
(16) Any proposal to change or change of Debenture trustee or Credit rating
agency or Registrar and Share Transfer Agent;
(17) Initiation or status update with respect to reference to NCLT under the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016;
(18) Any proposal for borrowings to be made through issuance of NCDs and/or
NCRPS, other debt instruments viz. term loans, commercial papers, external
commercial borrowings, Foreign currency convertible borrowings, medium
term note programme, rupee denominated offshore bonds or any other
mode of borrowings;
(19) Intimation in advance of the meeting of its board of directors, at which the
recommendation or declaration of issue of NCDs or any other matter
affecting the rights or interests of holders of NCDs/NCRPs is proposed to be
considered and also outcome of such meetings.
(20) In case where an event occurs or an information is available with the
listed entity, which has not been indicated in Part B of Schedule III, but
Page 6 of 17
which may be material, the listed entity is required to make adequate
disclosures in this regard.
Explanation.- For the purpose of this part, ‘default’ shall mean non-payment
of interest or dividend or principal amount or redemption amount in full on the
pre-agreed date and shall be recognized at the first instance of delay in
servicing of any interest or dividend or principal or redemption.
B. The provisions mentioned at Paragraph A(1), A(6), A(7), A(9), A(10), A(12)
of Part A of Schedule III shall also be applicable to listed entities which have
listed their NCDs or NCRPS without application of materiality.
3.3.1.1. Regulation 52(4): The listed entity, while submitting half yearly/ annual financial
results, shall, inter-alia , disclose the following line items along with the financial
results:
(a) credit rating and change in credit rating;
(b) asset cover available in case of non-convertible debt securities,;
(c) debt-equity ratio;
Page 7 of 17
(d) previous due date for the payment of interest/ dividend for
NCRPS/repayment of principal of NCRPS /NCD and whether same is paid
or not;
(e) next due dates for the payment of interest/ dividend for
NCRPS/repayment of principal of NCRPS /NCD and whether same has been
paid or not.
3.3.1.2. Provisos to Regulation 52(4): The first proviso to Regulation 52(4) provides that
the requirement of disclosures of debt service coverage ratio, asset cover and
interest service coverage ratio shall not be applicable for banks or non-banking
financial companies registered with the Reserve Bank of India, unsecured debt
instruments issued by regulated financial sector entities eligible for meeting
capital requirements as specified by respective regulators.
3.3.1.3. Regulation 52(6) (e): Regulation52(6) (e) provides that the listed entity which
has listed its non-convertible redeemable preference shares shall, inter-alia,
make additional disclosures such as breach of any covenants under the terms
of the non-convertible redeemable preference shares.
Feedback has also been received from the market participants that the
disclosures required under Regulation52(4) (a), (d) and (e) have to be given
series wise and considering that the issuers have numerous series of listed ISINs
Page 8 of 17
outstanding at a given point of time, the disclosures sought under the aforesaid
clauses cannot be provided as a line item Further, due dates for payment of
interest/ dividend/repayment of principal of NCRPS /NCD is already required
to be intimated in terms of Regulation 50 and whether the payment has been
made or not is required to be intimated in terms of Regulation 57(1). Therefore,
the requirements under Regulation 52(4)(d) & (e) are proposed to be deleted.
Rationale: SEBI vide circular dated August 10, 2016 has provided that banking
companies and insurance companies shall follow the formats as prescribed
under their respective Acts/Regulations as specified by their Regulators and
therefore the provisos are proposed to be deleted.
3.3.2.3. Disclosure of Regulation 52(6) (e) under Schedule III: It is proposed to include
the disclosure with respect to breach of covenants under the terms of issuance
of NCDs and /or NCRPS under Schedule III disclosures.
Regulation 52(7) requires that the listed entity shall submit to the stock exchange on a
half yearly basis along with the half yearly financial results, a statement indicating
material deviations, if any, in the use of proceeds of issue of NCDs and NCRPS from the
objects stated in the offer document.
Regulation 56(1)(a) inter alia provides that the listed entity shall forward a copy of
certificate from the listed entity's auditors in respect of utilisation of funds during the
implementation period of the project for which the funds have been raised.
Page 9 of 17
3.4.2. Changes proposed:
With regard to intimation for material deviation in the use of proceeds, it is proposed
that the same may be required to be submitted quarterly. Further, requirement of
submission of auditor’s certificate in respect of utilization of funds, as required under
Regulation 56(1) is proposed to be deleted and instead incorporated as a part of
Regulation 52(7).
Rationale: Material deviations in the use of proceeds is a serious issue and needs to
be intimated more frequently than the instant provision. Accordingly, it has been
proposed to reduce the timeline for such intimation from half yearly to quarterly.
Further, the proposal of deleting the requirement of submission of auditor’s
certificate in respect of utilization of funds in terms of Regulation 56(1) and making it
a part of Regulation 52(7), would result in coherence in respect to submissions related
to use of proceeds.
3.5.1.1. Regulation 53: Regulation 53 provides for the disclosures to be made in the
Annual Report by the listed entities which has listed its NCDs and/or NCRPS.
However, it does not provide the time line for submission of the same to Stock
Exchanges.
3.5.1.2. Regulation 58(1): Regulation 58(1) provides that the listed entity shall send the
following documents:
(a) Soft copies of full annual reports to all the holders of NCRPS who have
registered their email address(es) for the purpose;
(b) Hard copy of statement containing the salient features of all the documents,
as specified in Section 136 of Companies Act, 2013 and rules made thereunder to
those holders of NCRPS who have not so registered;
(c) Hard copies of full annual reports to those holders of NCDs/ NCRPS, who
request for the same.
Page 10 of 17
(d) Half yearly communication as specified in sub-regulation (4) and (5) of
regulation 52, to holders of NCDs/ NCRPS.
3.5.1.3. Regulation 56 (1): Regulation 56(1) provides that the listed entity shall
promptly provide a copy of the annual report to the Debenture Trustee.
3.5.2.1. Regulation 53: It is proposed that listed entities who have issued NCDs and/or
NCRPS shall submit the annual report to the stock exchange and Debenture
Trustees within twenty one days of it being approved and adopted in the AGM
as per companies Act, 2013.
Rationale: Regulation 53 does not specify any time limit for submission of
annual report whereas Regulation 34 of the LODR Regulations provides that
the listed entity issuing equity shares and specified securities shall submit the
annual report to the stock exchange within twenty one days of it being
approved and adopted in the AGM as per companies Act, 2013.Therefore, in
order to ensure parity across all listed issuers, it is proposed to define a timeline
under Regulation 53 to make the conditions uniform for submission of the
annual report to the stock exchanges.
It is proposed that the Soft copies of annual reports required to be sent to the
holders of non-convertible preference share who have registered their email
address(es) for the purpose shall also be sent to the email addresses available
in depository account information. The same is proposed to be incorporated as
part of Regulation 58(1)(a). Further, Regulation 58(1) (b), (c) & (d) are proposed
to be deleted.
Page 11 of 17
Rationale: As per provisions of Companies act, all holders whose email id is
available with depositories may be provided only soft copy of Annual Report.
Thus the same is proposed to be streamlined.
Further, it is felt that the documents required in terms of Regulation 58(1) are
relevant to the holders of equity shares of a company and may not be required
to be sent to holders of NCDs/ NCRPS in hard copy.
Moreover, as per Regulation 52(4) and Regulation 52(8), the financial results of
the company along with other relevant information is already available in the
public domain via the stock exchange website, newspapers etc. Therefore the
Regulation 58(1) (b), (c) & (d) are proposed to be deleted.
Regulation 55: Regulation 55 provides that each rating obtained by the listed
entity with respect to NCDs shall be reviewed at least once a year by a credit rating
agency registered by the Board.
3.6.2. Changes proposed: It is proposed that the credit rating assigned to NCRPS shall
also be reviewed once a year under Regulation 55.
Rationale: The proposed change would align the requirement of review of rating of
NCDs with that of NCRPS.
Page 12 of 17
during the implementation period of the project for which the funds have
been raised.
3.7.2.1. Regulation 56(1): It is proposed that the listed entity shall forward the
material information/documents as disclosed under Part B of Schedule III of
Regulation 51 in so far as much it relates to interest, principal, issue and terms
of NCDs, rating, creation of charge on the assets, notices, resolutions and
meetings of holders of NCDs, to the debenture trustee at the same time as it
has intimated to the stock exchange.
Page 13 of 17
duplication as the said information is noted by the trustee under Regulation
52(5). Hence, the same is proposed to be deleted.
Thus Regulation 56(1) (a), (b), (c) & (d) are proposed to be deleted.
Regulation 57(1): Regulation 57(1) provides that the listed entity shall submit a
certificate to the stock exchange within two days of the interest or principal or
both becoming due that it has made timely payment of interests or principal
obligations or both in respect of the non-convertible debt securities stating the
fact about non-payment along with the reasons for the same.
Changes proposed: The listed entity shall submit a certificate to the stock
exchange within two days of the interest or principal or both becoming due in case
of non-payment of such interests or principal obligations or both in respect of the
non-convertible debt securities.
Rationale: It has been observed that listed entities are submitting certificates to
the stock exchanges under Regulation 57(1) only when they have made timely
payment of their debt obligations and not otherwise. However, the legislative
intent of the provision is that disclosures have to be made to the stock exchanges
irrespective of payment being made by the listed entity. Therefore intimation
regarding non-payment of interest or dividend or principal obligations will also
emphasize the submission of material information under Regulation 51.
Regulation 59(1) and Regulation 59(2): Regulation59 (1) and (2) provides that the
listed entity shall not make material modification without prior approval of the stock
exchange(s) where the NCDs/ NCRPS are listed. Also, such approval shall be taken
only after:
i. Approval of board of directors and debenture trustee in case of NCDs and ;
Page 14 of 17
ii. Complying with provisions of Companies Act, 2013 including approval of the
consent of requisite majority of holders of that class of securities.
3.9.2. Changes proposed: It is proposed that the listed entity shall not make any material
modification without obtaining consent in writing of the holders of not less than
three-fourths, by number, of holders of that class of securities for which
modification in structure is proposed. Further, such consent has to be an affirmative
one and a mere non response shall not be treated as deemed consent. The consent
so received from the prescribed number of holders shall be vetted by the debenture
trustee who shall then issue a certificate to the issuer confirming the same. The said
certificate shall then be submitted by the listed entity to the stock exchange.
3.10. Website:
3.10.2. Changes proposed: It is proposed that the listed entity shall update any change in
the content of its website within two working days from the date of such change in
content.
Rationale: This has been proposed to align the requirement of timely updation on
website by the issuers of listed debt securities with that required for specified
securities in terms of Regulation 46 of LODR Regulations.
Page 15 of 17
3.11. Applicability of Chapters IV and V:
Regulation 63(1) and Regulation 63(2):Regulation 63(1) read with Regulation 63(2)
provides that an entity which has listed its ‘specified securities’ and ‘non-convertible
debt securities’ or ‘non-convertible redeemable preference shares’ or both on any
recognized stock exchange, shall be comply with all provisions in Chapter IV of these
Regulations and certain provisions of Chapter V including Regulations such as
Regulation 50(2), (3), 51, 53, 54, 55 etc.
Rationale: This would ensure better availability of information in the public domain.
4. Public Comments:
In light of the above, public comments are invited on the proposals contained in this consultation
paper. The comments, may be sent by email or through post, latest by June 11, 2018, in the
following format:
Details of Responder
Name1/Organization:
1if
responding in personal capacity
Contact number:
Email address:
Page 16 of 17
Ms. Richa G. Agarwal
Deputy General Manager
Department of Debt and Hybrid Securities
Securities and Exchange Board of India
SEBI Bhavan
C4-A, G Block
Bandra Kurla Complex
Mumbai - 400 051
While sending email kindly ensure the subject is "Comments on the Consultation paper for review
of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015"
Page 17 of 17