Will the SEBI Board Discuss IPO Norms and Investor Regulations This Friday?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- SEBI's board meeting on Friday is critical for IPO reforms.
- Relaxation of IPO norms may attract more large companies to list.
- New compliance measures for foreign investors are on the table.
- Employee stock options rules have been amended for promoters.
- Transition to monthly expiries in futures and options is being considered.
New Delhi, Sep 11 (NationPress) The markets regulator SEBI is poised to address a range of significant reforms, including adjustments to IPO norms and investor regulations, during its upcoming board meeting scheduled for Friday.
According to sources, the board is likely to explore measures to ease the minimum requirements for initial public offerings (IPOs) from substantial corporations, as well as extend the deadlines for compliance with minimum public shareholding regulations.
Additionally, the meeting is expected to cover steps aimed at simplifying the compliance process for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), relaxing regulations for accredited investors in specific alternative investment funds (AIFs), expanding the operational scope for rating agencies, and recognizing Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) as equity.
Moreover, SEBI is contemplating a proposal to incentivize major companies to list on Indian exchanges.
Many of these initiatives have already been made available for public consultation, indicating SEBI’s broader strategy to enhance flexibility and promote growth within regulations.
This will mark the third board meeting under the leadership of Tuhin Kanta Pandey since his appointment on March 1.
In parallel, SEBI is expected to issue a consultation paper within a month regarding the gradual discontinuation of weekly futures and options (F&O) contracts.
The regulator aims to transition to monthly expiries with a structured plan and may also consider implementing same-day expiry across stock exchanges.
In another development earlier this week, SEBI revised its regulations to permit promoters to retain employee stock options (ESOPs) granted at least one year prior to the IPO filing.
As per the official announcement, employees categorized as promoters or part of the promoter group in the draft IPO documentation can now maintain their holdings or exercise ESOPs, Stock Appreciation Rights (SAR), or similar benefits, provided these were awarded at least one year before the filing.
Previously, SEBI’s regulations barred promoters from holding ESOPs or analogous share-based benefits.