India Cuts Minimum Share Float for Mega IPO Listings

India has formally notified a reduction in the minimum proportion of shares that large corporations must sell during an initial public offering (IPO). The regulatory change, which was released late Friday, is designed to facilitate the market entry of major entities such as the National Stock Exchange and Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.'s associated domestic units.

Under the new framework, the government has established specific thresholds for minimum public floats based on market capitalization:

• For companies valued at more than 5 trillion rupees (approximately $57 billion), the minimum float is reduced to 2.5% of paid-up capital.
• For firms valued between 1 trillion and 5 trillion rupees, the minimum public float is set at 2.75%.
• Companies with a market capitalization ranging from 500 billion to 1 trillion rupees are required to maintain a minimum public float of 8%.

To ensure long-term market depth, the government has implemented a mandatory glide path for companies to reach a 25% public shareholding threshold. The compliance timelines are as follows:

• Companies listing with a public float of less than 15% have five years to reach 15% and ten years to achieve the full 25% requirement.
• Companies debuting with a float exceeding 15% are granted five years to reach the 25% target.

Additionally, the updated regulations address corporate governance regarding voting rights. If a company with a class of equity shares featuring superior voting rights intends to list its ordinary shares, it must now mandatorily list the shares that carry those superior voting rights as well.