BNP Paribas picks 50% in SREI Infra arm

French bank BNP Paribas has bought a 50% stake in the equipment finance arm of SREI Infrastructure Finance for Rs 775 crore. This is the largest transaction so far in the country’s non-banking finance space.

The development reflects a larger trend where foreign entities have been buying into NBFCs. In the absence of stringent regulations to expand as a bank, NBFCs offer a way to make inroads into the asset financing market.