NSE Files DRHP for $2-3 Billion IPO: Tiger Global and SBI to Sell Stakes

After a nearly nine-year hiatus, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) has officially restarted its journey toward a public listing by filing its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI. This highly anticipated move signals a major milestone for India's capital markets, potentially marking one of the largest IPOs in recent history.

An Offer for Sale Led by Global and Domestic Giants

The proposed IPO is structured entirely as an Offer for Sale (OFS), meaning the exchange will not receive any fresh capital; instead, existing shareholders are divesting portions of their holdings. The DRHP proposes the sale of up to 14.89 crore shares with a face value of Re 1 each.

International investor Tiger Global has emerged as the largest participant in this divestment, proposing to sell 1.48 crore shares, which constitutes over 13% of the total offer. Other significant foreign entities reducing their stakes include Aranda Investments (Mauritius) and SAIF II-SE Investments.

On the domestic front, major public and private sector institutions are participating in the sale. Key sellers include IDBI Bank (74.15 lakh shares), State Bank of India (64.28 lakh shares), and SBI Capital Markets (53.62 lakh shares). Other notable participants include IFCI, HDFC Standard Life, Bajaj Holdings & Investment, and Bank of Baroda.

Valuation and Market Positioning

The NSE's return to the primary market comes at a time of significant valuation. Based on recent unlisted market prices ranging between Rs 1,950 and Rs 2,050 per share, the exchange is valued at approximately Rs 5 lakh crore. This would position it among India’s most valuable listed financial institutions.

Market analysts note that while the exchange trades at a premium—near 45x FY26 earnings—it remains relatively more affordable compared to its peers. For context, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) trades near 70x earnings, while Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) sits at around 80x. This valuation reflects NSE's "capital-light" business model and its dominant, near-monopoly position in several key trading segments.

Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles and Volatility Risks

Запізнілий лістинг став результатом того, що біржа успішно подолала наслідки скандалу з колокацією 2015 року. Той скандал, пов'язаний із звинуваченнями у наданні певним брокерам пріоритетного доступу до ринкових даних, заблокував першу спробу IPO біржі обсягом 10 000 крор рупій у 2016 році. Оскільки SEBI тепер видає сертифікати відсутності заперечень, а регуляторні перешкоди зникають, шлях до лістингу нарешті відкрито.

Однак аналітики попереджають про можливі труднощі. Дохід NSE значною мірою залежить від торгівлі деривативами — сегмента, який є за своєю природою волатильним. Крім того, нещодавні втручання SEBI, спрямовані на обмеження надмірної участі роздрібних інвесторів у сегменті ф'ючерсів та опціонів (F&O), можуть вплинути на обсяги торгівлі та, як наслідок, на загальний дохід біржі.

Основні висновки