Fairfax Financial (TSE:FFH) said it expects to finance its proposed acquisition of approximately 61% of India’s IDBI Bank through a combination of holding-company cash, subsidiary dividends, asset sales and contributions from Go Digit and IIFL Capital, with the transaction subject to regulatory approvals.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Prem Watsa described the proposed investment as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to acquire a majority interest in a bank operating in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. He said Fairfax had tracked IDBI Bank since 2019 and had worked on the transaction since October 2022.
Watsa said the Indian government conducted a “highly transparent and competitive process” before selecting Fairfax as buyer. The company said it intends to support India’s economic-development ambitions and sees the bank as a long-term investment tied to potential growth in consumer and business financial services.
IDBI Bank’s financial profile
Watsa said IDBI Bank is India’s sixth-largest private bank by deposits and was founded in 1964. The bank experienced cumulative losses of approximately $6.4 billion from 2016 through 2020, he said, before its recapitalization by Life Insurance Corporation of India and the Indian government.
Rakesh Sharma, who joined IDBI Bank in 2018, cleaned up the institution after it took losses equal to roughly 1.8 times its 2015 shareholders’ equity, according to Watsa. The bank has been profitable since 2021 and generated approximately $1 billion, or INR 93.2 billion, during the 12 months ended June 2026, he said.
Sharma is expected to remain chief executive officer. Fairfax also plans to nominate N.S. Kannan, the former managing director and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life and former executive director and CFO of ICICI Bank, as chairman of IDBI Bank, subject to Reserve Bank of India approval. Former CSB Bank CEO Rajendran will serve as an adviser, Watsa said.
Watsa cited IDBI Bank’s 27% capital adequacy ratio, $7.5 billion net worth, 43.6% CASA deposit ratio, 0.2% net non-performing asset ratio and 99% provisions coverage for non-performing loans. He also said the bank had an 80% loan-to-deposit ratio and total assets equal to about seven times common equity.
He said IDBI’s lending mix has changed materially from its previous structure. Commercial accounts now account for about 30% of lending, while retail lending represents 70%, with mortgages making up roughly 70% of the retail portfolio.
Funding and accounting plans
President Peter Clarke said Fairfax expects the acquisition funding requirement to be about $5.6 billion. He said the company held $2.3 billion of cash and marketable securities at the holding company as of June 30, plus another $2.3 billion of investments in associates and consolidated non-insurance companies.
Clarke also pointed to Fairfax’s sale of half its Poseidon position for about $1.9 billion in the first half of the year and its previously announced sale of Eurolife, expected to close in the second half of 2026 for approximately $900 million. He said the market value of Fairfax’s associates and consolidated non-insurance investments exceeded their carrying value by $4.4 billion as of June 30.
“None of this financing includes any long-term debt issuance,” Clarke said, adding that Fairfax’s leverage ratios were not expected to be affected significantly. He also said the use of insurance-company investment portfolios in the funding structure would likely be minimal, with much of the funding expected to occur at the holding-company level.
Fairfax expects to account for IDBI Bank using the equity method, Clarke said. Under India’s Banking Regulation Act, a shareholder’s voting rights are capped at 26%, a factor Fairfax said supports equity-method accounting despite its planned approximately 61% economic interest.
Digit, IIFL Capital and regulatory considerations
Watsa said IDBI Bank’s excess capital would be used to acquire Go Digit and IIFL Capital at market prices. He said Go Digit, a digital insurance company, could provide property-and-casualty and life insurance products to the bank’s customers. Fairfax expects to hold about 51% of IIFL Capital, according to Watsa.
However, Watsa said Fairfax does not plan to combine or rebrand the operations. “We have never believed in synergies,” he said, emphasizing Fairfax’s decentralized-management approach.
The transaction requires approvals from the Reserve Bank of India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India. Watsa said Fairfax expects closing could occur in the first quarter of 2027, although it could happen sooner.
Fairfax also has two years to determine the future of CSB Bank, as Indian regulations do not permit the company to retain ownership of two bank licenses. Watsa said the options are to merge CSB Bank with IDBI Bank or sell its stake.
Under current requirements discussed on the call, Fairfax would need to reduce its IDBI Bank ownership from about 60% to 40% within 10 years and then to 26% by the end of 15 years, unless regulations change.
About Fairfax Financial (TSE:FFH)
Fairfax Financial is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and the associated investment management.
