a) RBI vide notification no. RBI/2020-21/16 DOR.No.BP.BC/3/21.04.048/2020-21 dated August 06, 2020 has provided Resolution Framework for COVID-19-related Stress.

b) The Reserve Bank of India (Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets) Directions 2019, dated June 7, 2019 (“Prudential Framework”) provides a principle-based resolution framework for addressing borrower defaults under a normal scenario. Any resolution plan implemented under guidelines of “Prudential Framework”1 which involves granting of any concession on account of financial difficulty of the borrower entails an asset classification downgrade, except when it is accompanied by a change in ownership, which allows the asset classification to be retained as or upgraded to Standard, subject to the prescribed conditions.

c) The economic fallout on account of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to significant financial stress for borrowers across the board. The resultant stress can potentially impact the long-term viability of many firms, otherwise having a good track record under the existing promoters, due to their debt burden becoming disproportionate relative to their cash flow generation abilities. Such wide-spread impact could impair the entire recovery process, posing significant financial stability risks.

d) Considering the above, with the intent to facilitate revival of real sector activities and mitigate the impact on the ultimate borrowers, it has been decided to provide a window under the Prudential Framework to enable the lenders to implement a resolution plan in respect of eligible corporate exposures without change in ownership, and personal loans, while classifying such exposures as Standard, subject to specified conditions.

e) While the Prudential Framework is otherwise not applicable to certain categories of lending institutions to which this circular is addressed, exposures of these lending institutions shall also be included for any resolution under this facility. Consequently, without prejudice to the specific conditions applicable to this facility, all the norms applicable to implementation of a resolution plan, including the mandatory requirement of Inter-Creditor Agreements (ICA) and specific implementation conditions, as laid out in the Prudential Framework shall be applicable to all lending institutions for any resolution plan implemented under this facility. Terms used in this document, to the extent not defined herein, shall have the same meaning assigned to them in the Prudential Framework.