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Embracing a Wider Scope for TReDS

Transfer of Factoring Units to come under the purview of TLE in lieu of the regulator’s move to enhance TReDs Platform

– Anita Baid, Vice President | finserv@vinodkothari.com

The concept of Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) was introduced by RBI to enable discounting of invoices of MSME sellers against large corporates, including government departments and public sector undertakings, through an auction mechanism to ensure prompt realisation of trade receivables at competitive market rates. 

TReDS transactions fall under the umbrella of “factoring business.” Factoring is a financial practice where a company sells its trade receivables, or outstanding invoices, to a third party at a discount in exchange for immediate cash. TReDS platforms provide a digital infrastructure for facilitating such transactions, enabling efficient invoice discounting and promoting liquidity for MSMEs.(Our FAQs on TReDS and the India Factoring Report 2023 can be read here and here)

In a move to further strengthen the TReDS and promote smoother financial transactions, the RBI has announced significant enhancements to the TReDS guidelines. These enhancements are in line with the announcement made by RBI in the Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies dated February 8, 2023, to address certain challenges faced by financiers while bidding for low-rated buyers’ payables on TReDS platforms. (Our article on the same can be read here)

This article intends to discuss the RBI notification dated June 7, 2023 on Expanding the Scope of Trade Receivables Discounting System, introducing the said enhancements.

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Ushering the new-age TReDS Platform

– Anirudh Grover, Executive | finserv@vinodkothari.com

Receivables or debtors though from the face of it is considered as a positive thing for businesses, however when you lift the tag of positivity one can assess the true color of trade receivables. This essentially means that despite it being classified as an asset it may not be helping the business when required. For instance, ABC Ltd has 1 lakh recorded as debtors in its financials however these debtors are of no substantial use unless it is converted into liquid forms of funds. This in essence is the reason why TReDS was introduced, RBI vide Guidelines for the Trade Discounting System (TReDS) opined that the scheme for setting up and operating the institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of MSMEs from Corporate and other buyers, including Government Departments and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), through multiple financiers is known as TReDS.

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