Businesses often find themselves in need of immediate funding to pay vendors, buy inventory, and manage daily operations. In these situations, access to immediate funding is important. Commercial papers short-term debt instruments that help businesses meet these needs in time.
While investors have heard of commercial paper in discussions on money market instruments in India, many are unsure how it works. This guide discusses the meaning of commercial paper, outlining CP features and CP advantages and risks in detail.
Meaning of a Commercial Paper
Commercial paper is an unsecured short-term debt instrument issued in the form of a promissory note. It is used by financial institutions, companies, and other eligible entities to meet urgent funding needs. The funds raised can be used to:
- Finance working capital
- Maintain smooth cash flow
- Obtain short-term funding without resorting to expensive business loans
In India, commercial paper or CP was introduced back in 1990 to help highly rated corporates diversify short-term borrowing and give investors another investment option. Later, primary dealers and satellite dealers were also allowed to issue CPs to meet their own short-term funding requirements.
Features of Commercial Papers in India
Now that the meaning of commercial paper is clear, let’s understand CP features in India as per the RBI:
1. Discounted Issuance
Commercial papers are issued at a discount to their face value, making them a cost-effective short-term debt instrument. Investors earn returns by receiving the full face value at maturity.
Since CPs are unsecured corporate papers, the difference between issue price and redemption value becomes the investor’s profit.
2. Issuance and Denominations
As per RBI rules, only eligible corporates can issue CPs with scheduled commercial banks acting as the Issuing and Paying Agent. They are issued as stand-alone unsecured notes with no collateral backing.
CPs must be issued in a minimum denomination of ₹5 lakh and in multiples of the same. This means if you want to invest in CP, you have to make a minimum investment of ₹5 lakh.
3. Short-Term Maturity
A commercial paper is a short-term debt instrument with a minimum maturity window of 7 days. The maximum maturity period for a CP is 1 year.
This limited maturity window makes CPs a widely used money market instrument in India for meeting immediate liquidity needs without locking funds for long periods.
4. Regulatory Framework
Commercial papers are governed by RBI guidelines, which are updated periodically. As per the latest RBI guidelines, entities must hold a current investment-grade rating from CRISIL, ICRA, CARE, FITCH or other approved agencies to issue CPs.
5. Dematerialised Form
All commercial papers in India must be issued and held in dematerialised form. This ensures safe, fast and transparent transactions.
Earlier physical certificates were permitted, but since June 2001, demat format is mandatory for every CP, improving settlement efficiency and investor convenience.
6. Tradability
CPs are freely tradable in the secondary market through over-the-counter (OTC) deals. Each OTC transaction must be reported to FIMMDA within 15 minutes as per RBI’s rules.
This enhances transparency and liquidity for investors choosing short-term debt instruments like commercial papers.
Who Can Issue Commercial Papers in India?
The RBI specifies which entities are allowed to issue commercial papers. Only those permitted to raise short-term funds under the RBI’s umbrella limit can issue CPs. These include:
- Corporates with strong balance sheets
- Primary dealers
- All-India Financial Institutions (FIs) permitted by the RBI
Moreover, these issuers can offer commercial papers as short-term debt instruments only if they the following rating conditions:
- They must hold a minimum credit rating of A3 from CRISIL or an equivalent rating from ICRA, CARE, or FITCH.
- The rating must be valid and up-to-date at the time of issuance.
- The CP’s maturity cannot extend beyond the date up to which the assigned rating remains valid.
Who Can Invest in Commercial Papers?
Various types of investors can invest in these money market instruments in India, provided they meet the minimum investment threshold of ₹5 lakh. This includes:
- Individuals
- Banks
- Corporates
- Unincorporated bodies
- Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
- Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) — within SEBI limits
Advantages and Risks of Commercial Papers
Understanding CP advantages and risks is crucial for investors. We’ve outlined it all in detail below.
Advantages of Commercial Paper
Money market instruments like a commercial paper offers several benefits, both for the issuer as well as the investor. Let’s look at the key advantages of commercial paper:
- Cost-effective funding: CPs allow companies to borrow at lower interest rates than traditional bank loans, making them a cheaper short-term debt instrument.
- Quick and simple to issue: Companies can raise money faster and with less paperwork compared to business loans.
- High liquidity for investors: CPs are tradable in the secondary market and do not come with a lock-in period. This makes it easy to redeem investments.
- Portfolio diversification: Investors may use commercial paper to add short-term, high-quality corporate exposure to their portfolio.
- Flexible for issuers: CPs help companies manage short-term working capital requirements without long-term commitments.
Risks of Commercial Paper
As with all investments, CPs also carry risk that investors should understand:
- Credit Risk: Since commercial papers are unsecured corporate paper, they carry a higher risk of default than secured debt instruments. This means repayment depends entirely on the issuer’s financial health.
- Liquidity Risk: Although CPs are one of the most used money market instruments, the secondary market for them may be small and volumes can vary. This may mean difficulty for investors trying to exit positions.
- Rating Downgrade Risk: A sudden downgrade can reduce the CP’s market value or indicate financial stress.
- Reinvestment Risk: Commercial papers mature within 7 days to 1 year, which results in frequent cash flow turnovers. This creates reinvestment risk because investors must repeatedly find new instruments to park their funds, often at changing interest rates.
Commercial Paper vs. Bonds: Key Differences
While both commercial paper and bonds help companies raise money, they differ significantly in purpose, tenure, risk and investor suitability. Here is a simple comparison:
| Feature | Commercial Paper (CP) | Bonds |
| Tenure | 7 days to 1 year | 1 year to 40 years (varies by issuer) |
| Security | Unsecured corporate paper | Can be secured or unsecured depending on issuer |
| Issuer | Corporates, primary dealers, financial institutions | Corporates, governments, PSUs, NBFCs |
| Risk Level | Moderate due to lack of collateral | Varies from low (government bonds) to high (low-rated corporate bonds) |
| Returns | Generally lower than long-term bonds | Higher compared to CP due to longer tenure |
| Regulation | Issued under RBI guidelines | Regulated by SEBI and RBI depending on type |
| Investor Goal | Short-term parking of funds | Long-term income, potential capital stability or possible growth |
Updates in CP Regulations
As per RBI Master Directions issued on 3rd January 2024, the following rules are applicable:
- Individual retail investors and HUFs can invest up to 25% of a CP’s primary issue.
- Issuers of CPs have disclose information of default in payment through various channels, including their website.
- Issuers have to disclose the end-use purpose of the funds in the offer document.
- If the funds raised through the CP will be used for things other than financing operating expenses and current assets, their specific end-use must be outlined.
Conclusion: Understanding the Role of CPs
Since CPs have a high minimum investment limit of ₹5 lakh, they mainly catered to:
- Institutional investors
- HNIs
But in the recent years, many retail investors have show interest in CPs to diversify their holdings. While CPs can be good short-term money market instruments in India, they are unsecured. This means investors need to carefully evaluate the financial health of the issuer before investing.
If you’ve already invested in CPs and want to diversify into other debt instruments, you can explore bonds or other fixed-income instruments on the GoldenPi platform. Here, you will find a wide range of curated options to suit your risk tolerance, horizon, and goals.
FAQs on Commercial Paper
1. What is the maturity period of a commercial paper?
Commercial papers are short-term debt instruments that have a maturity period ranging from 7 days to 1 year.
2. How is the interest rate on a commercial paper determined?
Unlike other money market instruments in India, CPs do not pay interest. They are issued at a discount to face value, and the difference between purchase price and redemption value becomes the investor’s return.
3. What is the secondary market for commercial paper?
Commercial papers can be traded in the secondary money market, mostly among institutional investors. Liquidity varies based on issuer strength and prevailing demand for short-term debt instruments.
4. What is the difference between a commercial paper and other debt instruments?
Commercial papers are short-term money market instruments, and they work differently from longer-tenure debt instruments like bonds or debentures. CPs mature within 7 days to 1 year, while bonds and debentures can run for several years.
Debentures may also be convertible into equity, but CPs are not convertible. CPs do not pay periodic interest. Instead, they are issued at a discount and redeemed at face value, making the return equal to the difference between the two.
What is the minimum credit rating of a CP?
As per SEBI guidelines, the minimum credit rating for issuing commercial paper is A3, or its equivalent from recognised rating agencies.
Disclaimer:
This information is for general information purposes only. GoldenPi makes no guarantee on the accuracy of the data provided here; the information displayed is subject to change and is provided on an as-is basis. Nothing contained herein is intended to or shall be deemed to be investment advice, implied or otherwise. Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the offer-related documents carefully before investing.
Bonds or non-convertible debentures (NCDs) are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India and other government authorities. GoldenPi Securities Private Limited is a registered debt broker and acts as a distributor and not as a manufacturer of the product.
