For many Indian tycoons, 2019 turned woeful as lenders -- empowered by the nation’s recent bankruptcy law and desperate to clean up soured debt from their books -- started seizing assets of delinquent firms or dragged them into insolvency.
Indian banks wrote off a record $39 billion of loans in the 18 months through September in a bid to repair their balance sheets as they battled the world’s worst bad debt pile. Making matters worse, a shadow banking crisis led to a funding squeeze, crushing debt-laden businesses that were critically dependent on rollover financing.
“Life has come a full circle for tycoons that had enjoyed debt-fueled growth,” said Nirmal Gangwal, founder of distress and debt restructuring advisory firm Brescon & Allied Partners LLP. “Many firms collapsed like a house of cards. The downfall was rather unprecedented.”
The government has also been cracking down on economic crime to assuage public anger over absconding businessmen. It’s even barred some from traveling overseas if they were deemed a flight risk.
Here are some of the country’s biggest and most-storied businessmen who saw their fortunes fade. Spokespersons for none of these tycoons, except Essar, immediately replied to emails and text messages seeking comments.
Anil Ambani
The chairman of Reliance Group, which makes movies to metro lines, had a close shave with jail time in March before his elder brother and Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, bailed him out at the last minute. The woes of the ex-billionaire came to the fore when India’s top court asked him to pay Ericsson AB’s India unit about $77 million of past dues or go to jail since Anil Ambani, 60, had given a personal guarantee. His telecom carrier slipped into insolvency this year, while unprofitable Reliance Naval & Engineering Ltd. faced a cash crunch. Reliance Capital Ltd. is selling assets to pare debt. Ambani is also fending off Chinese lenders in a London court.
Malvinder & Shivinder Singh
Karma caught up with ex-billionaires and brothers Malvinder Singh, 47, and Shivinder Singh, 44, and how. Scions of a prominent business family, they once helmed India’s top drug maker and second-largest hospital chain. In October, the two were arrested on charges of fraudulently diverting nearly $337 million from a lender they controlled. India’s market regulator found in 2018 that the brothers had defrauded their hospital company of about $56 million. The collapse of the $2 billion empire turned brother against brother, prompting their mother to broker a peace deal that was short-lived. In February, Malvinder accused Shivinder and their spiritual guru of fraud.
Shashikant & Ravikant Ruia
After a hard-fought battle to keep their flagship steel mill, the first-generation entrepreneurs finally saw the bankrupt Essar Steel India Ltd. pass on to ArcelorMittal last month. The $5.9 billion takeover was almost two years in the making with multiple legal wrangles. The group, controlled by Shashikant Ruia, 76, and Ravikant Ruia, 70, were also reprimanded by a U.K. judge in March this year for concealing documents. Started in 1969 as a construction firm, Essar Group diversified, investing about $18 billion between 2008 and 2012, and piled on debt. In 2017, the group had sold another prized asset, Essar Oil.
Selling an asset to pare a liability shouldn’t be seen as a “lost asset,” an Essar spokesman said, adding that the group remains a diversified conglomerate.
VG Siddhartha
Before jumping off a bridge into a river in July in an apparent suicide, the founder of India’s biggest coffee chain Cafe Coffee Day had penned a letter that spoke of pressure from lenders, a private equity firm and harassment by tax officials. He had spent much of the last two years pledging ever more of Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd. shares to refinance loans for ever shorter periods, at ever higher interest rates. “I would like to say I gave it my all,” V.G. Siddhartha, 60, wrote in the letter. “I fought for a long time but today I gave up.”
Naresh Goyal
The former ticketing agent who built India’s largest airline by value, stepped down as chairman of Jet Airways India Ltd. in March, caving in to pressure from banks who took over the company. Cut-throat price wars and surging costs pushed Jet deeper into loss. The airline stopped flying in April and went into bankruptcy two months later as lenders failed to find a buyer. In July, an Indian court barred Naresh Goyal from flying overseas after the government said it was investigating an alleged $2.6 billion fraud involving Jet Airways.
Rana Kapoor
The founder of Yes Bank Ltd., which became India’s fourth-largest non-state lender, tweeted in September 2018 that his shares were invaluable and requested his children never to sell them upon inheritance. But trouble was brewing. The nation’s banking regulator, which found the lender had repeatedly under-reported its bad loans, refused to extend his tenure as chief executive officer. This forced Rana Kapoor, 62, to step down by end-January. Kapoor, who has pledged some of his Yes Bank shares in July, sold almost his entire stake in the lender by October.
Subhash Chandra
The rice trader-turned-media mogul, 69, who brought cable television into Indian homes in the early 1990s with his ZEE TV, resigned as chairman of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. in November and lost control of his crown jewel. Subhash Chandra has been selling stake in Zee Entertainment in the past few months to repay group’s debt.
Gautam Thapar
A default by Gautam Thapar, founder of the paper mill-to-power transmission Avantha Group, on pledged shares made Yes Bank Ltd. the biggest shareholder in CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd. In August, the firm was hit by an accounting scandal forcing the board to remove Thapar, 59, from the chairman’s post. A month later, the market regulator ordered a forensic audit of the firm and barred Thapar from accessing securities market.
After paying negotiated fine amount to Saudi Telecom Company, judge Saad Al Garni who is chairing the probe into the case, had recently ordered the release of three of the four prisoners - Riyaz Bajpe, Fairoz Ullal and Nasir Bunder.
Comments
Shame on u ppl, rather than being happy for the release of one of our brothers u r blaming each other and some organisation...because of this attitude ur community never unite....specially mangalorean mentality is so cheap never understand anything n don't want to improve as well....shame on u negative thinkers... always remember think good...be good....do good....
I know Nasir personally when he was growing up in Bunder, Jumma Masjid road. He is a victim of social pressure we beary community put on our young men. Only measure we use is financial accomplishment of men and not how they get there. Young men are subjected to keeping up with jones syndrome where money is required to get there. Dowry system (Unislamic) and lavish wedding expenses primarily drive this. Beary's are moving away from Islam and clinging on the material life. The religious leaders don't speak up against this as they are gaining from this materially.
I wish Nasir all the best and may Allah provide him endurance to deal with the stigma.
@ shaukath, what was happening people don know the fact dey speak wrongly, we have worked on it so they know the truth, u can inquire about me, am working in jubail k, give me ur full contact details and i will tell u who is liars.....
Some PFI and IFF supporters always start their comment with a lie: \i am not a PFI or IFF supporter.\" Lairs are never trustworthy."
Am not a member or supporters of IFF , I want to tell the fact wat actually happened, 13 years dey were in jail first 7 years all were scared to contact dem nor legally contacted for the release , since last 5 years IFF followed the case and legally hired a lawyer to fight the matter in court , as it was huge amount IFF requested Althaf ullal to join hands to collect funds and he took responsible to arrange funds as required, but it was not so easy to convince business men in this matter and finally approached and funds were almost done and IFF contributed Good amount also, by giving money matter is not solved, IFF done great work for further formalities to release of this three guys, U can ask donors if wat said is not true .....
As per my knowledge, IFF did not spend a single penny in this cause. many NRI businessmen in Saudi Arabia paid a huge amount of money. CD boss also paid money for their release. but CD report did not mention that in the report. Only IFF wants publicity. Now it is obvious that u want name and not reward. dont worry. Allah will fulfill your niyyah!
Dear All,
why CD has to support IFF, My humble request to CD is not to support these kind of organizations, you will regret at the end if you support these Jahils, you people first learn the basic of the Deen, your keeping muslim youth from learning basic of their deen and busying them in other activities which are no use in this world and in hereafter.
Alhamdulilh !! Masha Allah!May Allah give Hafiya & Hidaya to brother Althaf Ullal & Suhail Kandak & all other subordinates
Dear all please don't request to CD to Mention IFF name, All know who is behind this case, Insha allah, Allah will give all rewards for those who work behind this case
CD is always against IFF all know this.they only publish 1 minister's update even if he dance !!!!!!!!!!!
also CD will not Digest IFF name !!
Alhamdulillah, Welcome back home Nasser.....
Everyone knows who is behind this noble yet coastal digest has failed to publish the name of it. Don't know the reason but one thing is don't be biased on publishing news.
Why these type of reports ! CD should mention IFF for their great Effort !
Dear Respected Readers and Wellwishers indeed its a good thing that those guys are out of Jail and reached their home safely alhamdulillah. Let me clarify you one thing that, The Guy who took this initiative before 8 years in jeddah to release these people is Mr. Suhail Kandak, who is In Mangalore now days. Even he worked very honestly behalf of those guys. So lets not forget his contribution too in this case. As well as donors who supported. Thanks
Great news masha ALLAH ...
how come this Article miss the name of India Fraternity Forum ..they are the one behind this case from last 6 years, really a great dedication & efforts, finally they archived with the help of kind hearted business peoples, Hats off to IFF effort & contributed business icons.
#6@ shamusuddeen,we can unreasteand your mind ,clean your heart and say alhamdulillah..
How IFF are ready to help tainted people, even I was asking them earlier to help some tainted people they refused and they said that we are not helping hand to tainted people, something is fishy in this matter.
Masha Allah great News. BOTH OF THEM IFF AND BUSINESS CAN DO ANYTHING , THIS IS THE RESULT. MAY ALLAH BLESS WITH HIS MERCY BOTH OF THEM IN FUTURE CASE IF ANY.
Good work by IFF and Donors who helped these guys to come out of the jail. May Allah bless you all. Keep go on doing such good social work we will be there with you.
Good news. May allah bless the NRI businessmen for their noble work. Really it will inspire others.
I request with coastal Digest please mention IFF name because i heard that IFF is behind of them for walk free from jail
May Allah bless the NRI businessmen, who helped these poor guys to come out from the prison. It is the real Ibada /prayer, which takes us to Jannah!! Definitely they will get the reward for such good deed!!
Add new comment