The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday said the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) can tap the external commercial borrowing route for on-lending to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector.
For on-lending to the MSME borrowers, the RBI has stipulated that SIDBI should hedge the foreign currency risk in full in case the on-lending is in rupees.
On-lending in foreign currency will only be to those MSMEs which have a natural hedge by way of foreign exchange earnings.
Availment of ECB by SIDBI, including the outstanding ECBs, up to 50 per cent of owned funds, for on-lending to the MSME sector, will be under the automatic route and beyond 50 per cent of owned funds, the availment will be under the approval route, subject to a ceiling of $500 million per financial year.