BRIC nations raise $131 bn via debt issues

Emerging nations --Brazil, Russia, India and China -- have raised $131.1 billion from the debt markets in the year so far, while India's share stands at just over one-sixth of the kitty.

BRIC countries raised the funds through debt markets in a total of 606 deals in 2007 so far, against $120 billion mopped via 736 deals in the year-ago period, according to data complied by global consulting firm Dealogic.

India Inc has raised about $20 billion so far this year through the debt capital markets, as compared to nearly 13 billion garnered in the corresponding period last year.

Debt capital refers to funds raised by corporates through instruments such as bonds. It also includes money secured from derivative instruments, such as futures, options and swaps.

Interestingly, China's debt capital market volumes more than doubled this year to $41.9 billion versus $21.6 billion in same period last year.

The Dealogic report revels that the average deal size in the BRIC region has grown 33 per cent reaching to $216.4 million in 2007 as compared to last year's $163

million.

Meanwhile, Brazil has witnessed a fall in its debt volumes as the country garnered about $20 billion this year against $42 billion in same period last year.

Russia' volumes through issuance of debt have increased to about $48 billion this year, while it was around $42 billion  in the previous year. In terms of sectors, Oil and Gas leads the non-financial segment volumes with $19.7 billion  accounting for 15 per cent of the entire market, it said.

The debt volumes in the oil and gas sector have grown 10 per cent from last year, the Dealogic report revealed.

Among the leading bookrunners for arranging the debt issues, global financial services major Citi has topped the 2007 rankings with a 6.5-per cent market share. It is closely followed by Citic Group cornering 6.2 per cent of the total issuances in the region.