Shadow lender Bajaj Finance has picked banks, including Nomura Holdings and Kotak Mahindra Bank, to arrange a share sale of about $1 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The financier has also selected JM Financial for the proposed offering and may add more arrangers later, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.
The company plans to sell the shares by December, the people said. Bajaj Finance may raise equity capital, subject to board and shareholder approval, Managing Director Rajeev Jain had told investors in July, without providing further details.
Selling shares will help Bajaj Finance to raise funds to expand lending as many of its peers grapple with a liquidity crunch. The credit profile of the financier has remained unscathed even as many of its rivals got shunned from credit market after a string of defaults from IL&FS Group to Dewan Housing Finance Corp over the past year.
Deliberations are ongoing and details including fundraising size could still change, the people said. Representatives for Bajaj Finance and Nomura declined to comment, while those for Kotak and JM didn't immediately respond to emails and phone calls seeking comments.
The board of Bajaj Finance will meet on September 17 to consider a proposal to raise funds via a so-called qualified institutions placement, according to a filing on Thursday.
The lender's shares rose 25 per cent this year, making it one of the top gainers on the 116 member BSE Finance Index.
