Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s largest integrated transport utility, has successfully raised Rs 5,000 crore through a 15-year Non-Convertible Debenture (NCD). Backed by APSEZ’s strong financials and a ‘AAA/Stable’ domestic credit rating, the issue locked in a competitive coupon rate of 7.75% p.a. and was fully subscribed by LIC. The debentures will be listed on the BSE.

The issue shows APSEZ’s deep access to long-term capital from diversified sources at attractive pricing and significantly enhances APSEZ’s debt maturity profile. The transaction highlights APSEZ access to domestic markets for its longest tenure issuance till date, and one of the longest in Indian capital markets history. *The Proceeds will fund a proposed buyback of APSEZ’s US Dollar bonds, pending board approval on 31 May 2025. A full subscription would extend the average debt maturity significantly longer—from 4.8 years to 6.2 years. 

“This isn’t merely a financing exercise; it’s a proactive execution of a meticulously developed Capital Management Plan for APSEZ, focused on maintaining conservative leverage, extending the debt maturity profile, lowering cost, and diversifying funding sources. This plan is designed to support APSEZ with its long-term vision to become the world’s largest integrated transport utility,” said Mr. Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director & CEO, APSEZ.

Adani Ports has set a target of handling 1 billion tonnes of cargo by FY30, more than 2x the FY25 number. Beyond its port operations, the company has also laid out ambitious plans to expand its logistics and marine businesses.

With consistently improving debt repayment timelines and the cost of capital, APSEZ gains greater access to patient capital and higher liquidity, crucial for long-term planning and large-scale projects.  Moreover, it also offers financial flexibility for inorganic opportunities and enables reallocation of resources towards innovation, technology upgrades, and enhancing operational efficiencies. 

Key Takeaways

• APSEZ Secures Rs 5,000 crore via 15-year Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) from Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).

• NCDs locked in at a competitive 7.75% p.a. coupon rate; issued at par.

• Average Debt Maturity extends to 6.2 years from 4.8 years, a direct outcome of APSEZ’s ‘Capital Management Plan’.

• Demonstrates APSEZ’s access to diversified sources of financing and access to tenor in domestic markets.

• APSEZ maintains it ‘AAA/Stable’ rating from all top domestic rating agencies—CRISIL, ICRA, CARE, and India Ratings.