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SBI, the country’s largest public sector lender, State Bank of India (SBI) has come out with a home buyer finance guarantee scheme in which lenders will get a full principal amount refund if the builder fails to deliver a project within the stipulated deadline.

SBI’s ‘Residential Builder Finance with Buyer Guarantee scheme’ can be availed for any housing project where the maximum price of a single unit is Rs 2.5 crore. Under the scheme, developers will also be able to avail of a loan between Rs 50 crore to Rs 400 crore after fulfilling due diligence.

SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said the scheme will “improve the confidence of homebuyers” and increase the velocity of residential unit sales.

“We are committing that till the time a project receives an occupation certificate (OC), there will be a guarantee which the bank will offer buyers who take loans from it. This will be a win-win situation for home buyers, builders and the bank,” Kumar added.

The scheme will initially be rolled out across 10 cities including RERA-registered projects and will be expanded later. Many in the real estate industry welcomed the move as it could provide a significant boost to the ailing sector.

SBI Chairman Kumar also explained how it works. For instance, when an individual buys a flat/apartment worth Rs 2 crore and has already paid Rs 1 crore, he/she will get an entire refund of Rs 1 crore if the project gets delayed beyond deadline.

Puri also explained how the scheme will attract and benefit homebuyers.

“It will certainly help attract homebuyers. The underlying provision of this scheme – that the bank commits to refund the principal loan amount if a developer fails to complete the project – will ensure that SBI remains highly selective in its approach and work only with the most reliable and trustworthy developers,” he said.

“To mitigate the risk of having to issue refunds, it will also keep a regular check on the progress of the project and see to it that it is completed on time. This will eventually give major assurance to all homebuyers who will opt for loans under this scheme from the SBI, and help in boosting their confidence. The unique scheme has all the hallmarks of becoming a major success,” he added.