EPFO to now invest Rs 3K crore in AA+ rated corporate bonds

New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO has decided to invest in corporate bonds in the AA+ investment grade, a notch lower than the earlier norm of AAA, a move that will help it park around Rs 3,000 crore per annum in such securities.

The decision to invest 2 percent of investible deposits of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) was taken by its advisory body, Finance, Audit and Investment Committee (FAIC), at its meeting held on Wednesday.

"The EPFO's apex decision making body the Central Board of Trustees had already authorised the FAIC to take decision regarding investment in AA+ rated corporate bonds," a source said.

"The FAIC in its meeting held today decided to invest 2 percent of investible deposits in the AA+ rated corporate bonds," the source added.

According to investment norms followed by the EPFO, the body can invest 10 percent of its investible deposits in the corporate bonds with rating of at least AAA.

The source said that the decision was taken in this regard after CRISIL made a detailed presentation that the there are few options of investment in AAA rated bonds in the market and the body can explore the investments in AA+ rated corporate bonds.

EPFO is expected to have investible deposits of around Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the current fiscal. Thus, now it can invest around Rs 3,000 crore in AA+ rated corporate bonds in a year.