Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently introduced the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2023. These amendments are aimed at regulating the listing of non-convertible debt securities by listed entities.
1. Mandatory Listing of Non-Convertible Debt Securities
Listed entities with non-convertible debt securities are now required to list all such securities proposed to be issued on or after January 1, 2024, on stock exchanges. This mandate ensures greater transparency and accessibility for investors in the debt securities market.
2. Listing of Outstanding Securities
Entities that have issued unlisted non-convertible debt securities on or before December 31, 2023, and have such securities outstanding on that date, may also choose to list them on stock exchanges. This provision allows entities to bring previously issued securities into the regulated market.
3. Listing of Outstanding Unlisted Securities
Listed entities planning to list non-convertible debt securities on or after January 1, 2024, must also list all outstanding unlisted non-convertible debt securities issued on or after that date within three months from the date of listing the proposed securities. This requirement ensures uniformity and compliance in the debt securities market.
4. Exemptions from Listing
Certain categories of non-convertible debt securities are exempt from this listing requirement, including bonds issued under section 54EC of the Income Tax Act, 1961, securities issued under agreements with multilateral institutions, and those issued as per court orders or regulatory requirements of financial sector regulators like SEBI, RBI, IRDAI, or PFRDA.
5. Lock-In Period for Exempted Securities
For securities issued under the exemptions mentioned above, investors are required to hold the securities until maturity, and these securities must remain unencumbered during this period. This measure aims to maintain the stability and integrity of exempted securities.
6. Disclosure Requirements
Listed entities intending to issue securities under the exempted categories must disclose all key terms of such securities to the stock exchanges where their non-convertible debt securities are listed. This includes details such as embedded options, security features, interest rates, charges, commissions, premium, maturity periods, and any other information deemed necessary by SEBI.
7. Conclusion
SEBI’s latest amendment to the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements for debt securities reflects the regulator’s commitment to enhancing transparency and investor protection in the Indian securities market. These changes will impact listed entities issuing non-convertible debt securities, and compliance with these regulations is crucial for maintaining market integrity.
Entities affected by these amendments should take the necessary steps to ensure timely compliance and disclosure to avoid regulatory repercussions. As always, consulting legal and financial experts for guidance on compliance is advisable.
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE BOARD OF INDIA
NOTIFICATION
Mumbai, the 19th September, 2023
Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2023
No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/151.─In exercise of the powers conferred by section 11, sub-section (2) of section 11A and section 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (15 of 1992) read with section 31 of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 (42 of 1956), the Securities and Exchange Board of India hereby makes the following regulations to further amend the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, namely: –
1. These regulations may be called the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2023.
2. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
3. In the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, after regulation 62, the following shall be inserted, namely, –
“Listing of subsequent issuances of non-convertible debt securities
62A. (1) A listed entity, whose non-convertible debt securities are listed shall list all non-convertible debt securities, proposed to be issued on or after January 1, 2024, on the stock exchange(s).
(2) A listed entity, whose subsequent issues of unlisted non-convertible debt securities made on or before December 31, 2023 are outstanding on the said date, may list such securities, on the stock exchange(s).
(3) A listed entity that proposes to list the non-convertible debt securities on the stock exchange(s) on or after January 1, 2024, shall list all outstanding unlisted non-convertible debt securities previously issued on or after January 1, 2024, on the stock exchange(s) within three months from the date of the listing of the non-convertible debt securities proposed to be listed.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this regulation, no listed entity shall be required to list the following securities:
(i) Bonds issued under section 54EC of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961);
(ii) Non-convertible debt securities issued pursuant to an agreement entered into between the listed entity of such securities and multilateral institutions;
(iii) Non-convertible debt securities issued pursuant to an order of any court or Tribunal or regulatory requirement as stipulated by a financial sector regulator namely, the Board, Reserve Bank of India, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India or the Pension Fund and Regulatory Development Authority.
(5) The securities issued by the listed entity under clauses (ii) and (iii) of sub-regulation (4) shall be locked in and held till maturity by the investors and shall be unencumbered.
(6) A listed entity proposing to issue securities under sub-regulation (4) shall disclose to the stock exchanges on which its non-convertible debt securities are listed, all the key terms of such securities, including embedded options, security offered, interest rates, charges, commissions, premium (by any name called), period of maturity and such other details as may be required to be disclosed by the Board from time to time.”
BABITHA RAYUDU, Executive Director
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./428/2023-24]
Footnotes:
1. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 were published in the Gazette of India on 2nd September 2015 vide No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2015-16/013.
2. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, were subsequently amended on:
a) December 22, 2015 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2015 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2015-16/27.
b) May 25, 2016 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2016 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2016-17/001.
c) July 8, 2016 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2016 vide notification no. SEBI/ LAD NRO/GN/ 2016-17/008.
d) January 4, 2017 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2016 vide notification no. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/ 2016-17/025.
e) February 15, 2017 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2016-17/029.
f) March 6, 2017 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees and Mode of Payment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 vide Notification No. LAD-NRO/GN/2016- 17/037 read with March 29, 2017 by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees and Mode of Payment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD/NRO/GN/2016-17/38.
g) May 9, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/10.
h) May 30, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2018/13.
i) June 1, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/21.
j) June 8, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/24.
k) September 6, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/30.
l) November 16, 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2018 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2018/47.
m) March 29, 2019 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2019 vide notification no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/07.
n) May 7, 2019 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2019, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/ GN/2019/12.
o) June 27, 2019 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2019, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/ GN/2019/22.
p) July 29, 2019 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2019, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/2019/28.
q) December 26, 2019 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2019, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/ 2019/45.
r) January 10, 2020 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020, vide notification no. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/2020/02.
s) April 17, 2020 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Regulatory Sandbox) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 vide no. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2020/10.
t) August 5, 2020 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2020, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/ 2020/25.
u) October 8, 2020 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2020, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/ 2020/33.
v) January 8, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/2021/02.
w) May 5, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2021, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/2021/22.
x) August 3, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Regulatory Sandbox) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2021/30.
y) August 3, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2021, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/ GN/2021/35.
z) August 13, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2021, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/ GN/2021/42.
aa) September 7, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2021, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/ GN/2021/47.
bb) November 9, 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2021, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/ GN/2021/55.
cc) January 24, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/2022/66.
dd) March 22, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2022, vide notification no. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/2022/76.
ee) April 11, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2022, vide notification No. SEBI/ LAD-NRO/GN/2022/79.
ff) April 25, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2022/80.
gg) July 25, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Fifth Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2022/88.
hh) November 14, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Sixth Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2022/103.
ii) December 05, 2022 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Seventh Amendment) Regulations, 2022 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2022/109.
jj) January 17, 2023 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/ 2023/117.
kk) February 7, 2023 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Payment of Fees and Mode of Payment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/121.
ll) June 14, 2023 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Second Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2023/131.
mm) July 4, 2023 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD–NRO/GN/2023/137.
nn) August 23, 2023 by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2023 vide notification No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/ GN/2023/149.
