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SEBI Eases FPO Norms; Discontinues Minimum Promoter’s Contribution Requirement

The regulator said the relaxation would be available for those companies which are frequently traded on a stock exchange.

The logo of Securities of Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is pictured on its headquarters in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, India. (Source: BloombergQuint)
The logo of Securities of Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is pictured on its headquarters in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, India. (Source: BloombergQuint)

Capital markets watchdog SEBI on Friday relaxed the framework for Follow-on Public Offers , a move that will help promoters of companies to raise funds more easily through this route.

The applicability of minimum promoters' contribution norm and the subsequent lock-in requirements for the issuers making FPO have been done away with by the regulator, as per a notification.

Earlier, promoters were mandated to contribute 20% towards a company's FPO. Besides, in case of any issue of capital to the public, the minimum promoters' contribution was required to be locked-in for three years.

The regulator said the relaxation would be available for those companies which are frequently traded on a stock exchange for at least three years. Also, such firms should have redressed 95% of investor complaints.

The issuer company needs to be in compliance with the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations for at least three years, according to SEBI.

Subject to certain conditions, an issuer who has not complied with the listing requirements relating to the composition of board of directors for any quarter during the last three years immediately preceding the date of filing of draft offer document would be deemed as compliant.

The condition is that the issuer should be compliant with the requirement at the time of filing preliminary paper and that adequate disclosures are made in the offer document about such non-compliances.

SEBI board had approved the proposal in December.