Brickwork launches rating services

Bangalore, Sep 24 (UNI) Brickwork Rating Services, the first credit rating firm based in south India and registered under SEBI rules to help the Indian investor make 'informed investment decisions' was launched here today.

Founded by former SIDBI chairman B Balasubramanian, he is the Chairman of the agency with ex Karnataka IT Secretary Vivek Kulkarni as Managing Director.

Committed to help investors in providing investment decisions, the agency is backed by proprietary models in credit risk for corporate, SMEs, retail as well as models for commercial banks, Mr Balasubramanium, told reporters here.

He said Brickwork had developed special models for company valuation both for traditional as well as new economy companies that had substantial intangible assets.

Mr Kulkarni said ''Rating penetration in India is just one per cent. There is not enough reach going on to inform the people.'' Brickwork offers short-term, long-term and issuer rating for commercial paper, CDs, fixed deposits, debentures, bonds, structured products of corporate, PSU, governments, local body, banks and financial institutions, he added.

It also offers IPO grading for both small and large entities based on a specialised model for evaluating mutual funds. It also offers customised briefings, workshops and training programmes in several topics of risk management, derivatives, hedging and foreign currency futures, he said.

The ratings methodology had been designed after studying the standard rating models developed by specialists like Edward Altman, W H Beaver, E B Deakin, David Lando, Darrell Duffie.

In its database, Brickwork had organised and tracked about 10,000 Indian companies, he added.

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