Ethos Asset Management plans $ 22 mn loans for Indian construction

Ethos Asset Management, a private investment firm based in the United States that specialises in providing long-term project finances, has announced its plans to initiate investments in India. The company is all set to extend loans totaling $ 22 million to two construction firms. Additionally, Ethos Asset Management has established an ambitious objective of achieving a loan exposure of $100 million by the conclusion of December in the fifth largest economy of the world. The asset management company, which currently holds debt investments amounting to $1.5 billion, has allocated funds of $50 million and $28 million earmarked for lending purposes within India's energy and infrastructure sectors respectively, for the ongoing year. According to Ethos founder and CEO Carlos Santos, I have a couple of potential deals on the table in the construction sector. The sectors that are coming up next for lending will be energy and infrastructure. He stated that the company, which embarked on its journey in 2012, began exploring and analysing the Indian market five years ago. He added, Over the course of these five years, we dedicated a substantial amount of financial resources and time to comprehend the market. As we review the past few years in terms of economic growth, we observe that this country's GDP has experienced nearly two to three times more growth compared to the global average. India's economy recorded a growth rate of 7.2% in the fiscal year 2022-2023, which stands as the fastest growth rate among major economies. Meanwhile, the world is grappling with a demand deficit. According to ICRA Ratings, India's GDP is anticipated to surge to 8.5% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023-2024, driven by a favourable base effect and a revival in the service sector. Typically, Ethos extends loans for a period of 12 years. Santos explained that borrowers receive loans from Ethos at a fixed annual rate of 5-5.5%. Ethos has identified five sectors—infrastructure, energy, agribusiness, manufacturing, and information technology—as its primary focus. The company aims to deploy approximately $ 1 billion in India over the upcoming five years. Also read:  Scindia initiates Rs 500 mn Datia airport BOC aviation supports IndiGo's growth with Airbus aircraft financing