In a major development in personal insolvency resolution proceedings, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved a repayment plan submitted by Essel Group founder Subhash Chandra. Under the tribunal-sanctioned plan, Chandra will pay ₹6.5 crore to resolve admitted creditor claims totaling ₹22,006.57 crore. The arrangement results in a recovery rate of approximately 0.03% for lenders, translating to a steep 99.97% haircut on the outstanding dues.
The personal insolvency proceedings stem from Chandra’s role as a personal guarantor for debts incurred by various Essel Group entities, including Zee Entertainment. The approved scheme was rendered under Section 114 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
The legal outcome followed a protracted process at the tribunal. The original two-member NCLT bench delivered a split verdict regarding the resolution scheme. To break the deadlock, NCLT Member (Judicial) Nilesh Sharma was appointed as the third member, ultimately casting the deciding vote to approve the ₹6.5 crore repayment plan.

