India's Indebted Electric Retailers Seen Scaring Off Investors

摘要

India's money-losing state power retailers may be scaring off power plant investors, according to Sem-bcorp Industries Ltd., compounding the industry's woes that have left about 20 percent of the country without electricity. Delayed payments by the distributors and their reluctance to sign long-term purchase contracts are risks for investors, said Vipul Tuli, chief executive officer at the Singapore-based engineering conglomerate's India unit. It joins Spanish wind power producer Acciona SA and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.-backed ReNew Power Ventures in voicing concerns over the precarious business environment in India's power industry.