The newly formed Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) has approved over Rs. 2000 crore interest free loans for six Indian higher education institutes to boost research and academic infrastructures.
HEFA
It is a non-banking financial company (NBFC) formed to give a major push for creation of high quality infrastructure in premier educational institutions.
It is registered as a Section – 8 Company under the Companies Act.
It will be a joint venture between the HRD ministry and Canara bank.
It will raise funds from the market and also mobilize CSR (corporate Social Responsibility) funds from PSUs/Corporates and lend to government-run higher educational institutions for promoting research and innovation.
It would finance research and infrastructure projects through a 10-year loan.
RBI has granted a license under the RBI Act for HEFA to operate as Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) and to leverage the equity to mobilise money from market as per the requirements of the institutions.