India’s apex industry body for alternative assets, the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), held a “Road to IPO” Conference, in association with Avendus, IndusLaw and Deloitte. This showcases IVCA’s aim to advance entrepreneurs’ and investors’ understanding of the IPO process as a viable exit option and the best practices required for the listing process.
Rajat Tandon, President, IVCA, said, “The high growth in the number of IPOs emerging from India is a testament to the nation’s strong entrepreneurial growth and sustainability. India’s burgeoning start-up culture, rising alternative asset class, and supportive regulatory environment have created a fertile ground for innovation and growth while enabling start-ups to scale rapidly and fuel their growth ambitions. As a key ecosystem enabler, IVCA, through the “Road to IPO” Conference, intends to enlighten stakeholders on the best practices and significant strategies so that they can learn how to best go about the process.”
In recent years, India has produced several high-potential, high-value companies. This has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of IPOs produced, with reports indicating that India has expanded its share in the global IPO market from 6% in 2021 to 11% in 2022 and then 13% year-to-date in 2023. From January 2023 till date, India’s BSE and NSE witnessed 14 listings raising a total of $ 1.61 Bn. This surge reflects the bullish orientation of the Indian stock market and the resilience and vibrance of the entrepreneurial activity in the country. By educating GPs, LPs, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders on the IPO process, IVCA aims to strengthen India’s IPO pipeline.
Gaurav Sood, Managing Director and Head, Equity Capital Markets, Avendus Capital, said “Indian economy has been a bright spot amidst global volatility, growing at the fastest rate driven by reformatory government initiatives. We have seen an exponential growth in the tech space as the country has emerged as the third largest ecosystem for startups, globally, producing more than 100 unicorns. In the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of multiple new sectors in the listed space besides Technology, like Affordable Housing Finance, Microfinance Institutions, Market Infrastructure Institutions and E-commerce. While FII buying activity has majorly been driven by global cues, continued support from domestic investors gives us a lot of confidence in the real depth of capital markets. We expect IPOs worth USD 50-60 billion to tap the Indian markets by 2028.”
Manan Lahoty, Partner IndusLaw said, “For a company and its investors, the execution of an IPO can be fairly demanding, but the journey can be smooth and successful depending on how well you are prepared. If IPO is an option, we advise them to familiarise themselves with the key consideration 2-3 years ahead of the planned listing. This conference has a unique format – a combination of focussed sessions followed by panel discussions – creating a great opportunity for businesses and investors to assess IPO as an option and also develop understanding on how and when to go about things.” Sunder Iyer, Subject Matter Expert said, “The true barometer of a successful business story will always be the stock exchange. Public markets decide if the equity story is a success and also determine its true value. Prior to undertaking an IPO, meticulous financial reporting considerations are paramount. Transparency, accuracy, and adherence to the regulatory standards serve as a bedrock of successful public debut and for being a thriving public company.”
IVCA’s “Road to IPO” Conference shed light on various aspects of the IPO process in the Indian startup ecosystem, particularly from legal, consulting, and fund perspectives. Industry experts Imran Jafar, Managing Partner, Gaja Capital, Sandeep Singh, Managing Partner, Everstone Capital, Vinayak Shenvi, Partner & CIO, CX Partners, Gaurav Sood, Managing Director and Head, Equity Capital, Markets, Avendus Capital; Manan Lahoty, Partner, IndusLaw; Sunder Iyer, Subject Matter Expert; Srinath S, Chief Executive Officer, Oman India Joint Investment Fund; Pranav Parikh, Managing Partner and Head, Nuvama Private Equity; Ravi Dubey, Partner, IndusLaw; Ankit Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO, ideaForge; Hirendra Divgi, Executive Director, Divgi TorqTransfer Systems; Sreekanth Nadella, Managing Director And CEO, KFIN Technologies Limited; Abhiroop Lahiri, Partner, IndusLaw, and Andy Khanna, National Leader Private Equity, Deloitte conducted and participated in engaging sessions on the process from scaling to listing.
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