Sagarmala Finance Begins Lending With Rs 43 Billion Sanctions
ECONOMY & POLICY

Sagarmala Finance Begins Lending With Rs 43 Billion Sanctions

Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited, India’s first non-banking financial company dedicated exclusively to maritime infrastructure, has formally commenced lending after its Board sanctioned loans worth nearly Rs 43 billion at its 51st meeting held on December 30, 2025. The corporation, inaugurated in June 2025, said the approvals mark the start of an aggressive scale-up strategy approved at its annual general meeting.

At the AGM, the Board cleared a borrowing ceiling of Rs 250 billion and set a lending target of Rs 80 billion for FY 2025–26. The projects sanctioned so far are expected to be disbursed before the end of the fiscal year, positioning SMFCL firmly within the domestic maritime finance ecosystem and enabling it to build an Rs 80 billion loan book in its first full year of operations.

A substantial portion of the sanctions—around Rs 40 billion—will support the development of a greenfield port project. In addition, Dredging Corporation of India has secured funding of Rs 1.5 billion, while Goa Shipyard is set to receive Rs 1.1 billion, strengthening dredging capacity and indigenous shipbuilding infrastructure.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal described the commencement of lending as a key milestone for India’s maritime sector. SMFCL is also awaiting credit ratings from leading agencies, which are expected to help reduce borrowing costs as it expands operations.

The corporation additionally acts as the nodal agency for operationalising the Maritime Development Fund, which has a corpus of Rs 250 billion, and will manage government contributions to the Maritime Investment Fund in a fiduciary capacity.

Sagarmala Finance Corporation Limited, India’s first non-banking financial company dedicated exclusively to maritime infrastructure, has formally commenced lending after its Board sanctioned loans worth nearly Rs 43 billion at its 51st meeting held on December 30, 2025. The corporation, inaugurated in June 2025, said the approvals mark the start of an aggressive scale-up strategy approved at its annual general meeting. At the AGM, the Board cleared a borrowing ceiling of Rs 250 billion and set a lending target of Rs 80 billion for FY 2025–26. The projects sanctioned so far are expected to be disbursed before the end of the fiscal year, positioning SMFCL firmly within the domestic maritime finance ecosystem and enabling it to build an Rs 80 billion loan book in its first full year of operations. A substantial portion of the sanctions—around Rs 40 billion—will support the development of a greenfield port project. In addition, Dredging Corporation of India has secured funding of Rs 1.5 billion, while Goa Shipyard is set to receive Rs 1.1 billion, strengthening dredging capacity and indigenous shipbuilding infrastructure. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal described the commencement of lending as a key milestone for India’s maritime sector. SMFCL is also awaiting credit ratings from leading agencies, which are expected to help reduce borrowing costs as it expands operations. The corporation additionally acts as the nodal agency for operationalising the Maritime Development Fund, which has a corpus of Rs 250 billion, and will manage government contributions to the Maritime Investment Fund in a fiduciary capacity.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code