Credit ratings agency Crisil in its latest report has said that the expanded Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) will help businesses like hotels, civil aviation and tour operators, which are the hardest hit by the second wave of COVID-19. It will also support build-up of healthcare infrastructure, mainly oxygen availability, in tier-2 and beyond cities and the hinterland. The scheme was first announced in May last year, when the deep economic impact of the pandemic was becoming evident. The latest version of the scheme is valid till end September 2021 or till the Rs 3 lakh crore outlay gets exhausted.
It said more sectors have been brought under the scheme's ambit, some eligibility criteria have been relaxed, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been allowed to avail of loans for longer tenures, and it also pointed out that loans of Rs 2.54 lakh crore have been sanctioned under the scheme as of May. The revised scheme has included the civil aviation sector -- airlines and airport operators -- and also eased the eligibility criteria for companies in the hospitality, travel and tourism, and leisure and sports sectors, the agency said, adding that these segments are set to show a 30 per cent sequential demand contraction in the June quarter.
Pointing out that the revised schemes includes funding of up to Rs 2 crore for oxygen generating plants for capacity enhancement at 7.5 per cent interest, the agency said it will benefit mid-sized and small hospitals, especially in tier-2 and beyond cities, and the hinterland, which have a constrained credit profile. The agency warned while the terms of the scheme are attractive, hospital companies will have to carefully evaluate spending, keeping in mind the sustainability of demand and overall viability of investments. The revised scheme will also benefit MSME borrowers that availed of the ECLGS 1.0 scheme, provided they are eligible under the Reserve Bank of India''s restructuring 2.0 framework.
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