NHB to raise Rs 5,000 cr via tax-free bonds

National Housing Bank (NHB), the regulator for housing finance companies, plans to come out with a retail issue of Rs 5,000-crore tax-free bonds later this month.

“We are planning to go for retail issue of our tax-free bonds in the third week of this month,” NHB Chairman and Managing Director R V Verma told PTI.

Of the total issue size, he said, Rs 3,750 crore has been earmarked for retail investors while remaining Rs 1,250 crore for private placement to institutional investors. As per the budget proposal, NHB was allowed to raise Rs 5,000 crore from the tax-free bonds during 2012-13. Currently, the private placement option is open for institutional investors to subscribe such bonds.