Unlocking India’s IPO Potential: IVCA Announces Inaugural Indian Venture IPO & Exit Strategies Forum

India’s apex industry body for alternative assets, the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), has announced its inaugural flagship forum, Indian Venture IPO & Exit Strategies Forum 2024. Scheduled to take place on 14th November 2024 at Jio World Centre, Mumbai, the forum will delve into the most critical exit strategies that are shaping India’s alternate capital and startup ecosystems. The forum is organised in collaboration with Peak XV Partners, PwC, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (SAM & CO.), SKI Capital Services Limited and Uniqus Consultech Inc.

IVCA Announces Inaugural Indian Venture IPO & Exit Strategies Forum

“There’s never been a better time for exits in India. Indian capital markets are incredibly fertile for startup IPOs and this is just the beginning, we will see a large number of startups go public over the next several years,” said Rajan Anandan, MD, Peak XV and Co-chair, IVCA VC Council. He further added, “IVCA has always been a champion and supporter of the investment ecosystem in India. With the upcoming IPO & Exit Strategies Forum, we are excited to have a cross-section of participants, from investors to founders to public market bankers under one roof to discuss what it takes to go public in India.”

India has dominated the global IPO market with over 216 listings by August 2024, spanning both mainboard and SME exchanges. The markets have demonstrated a sustainable and consistent post COVID-19 recovery raising the number of listings to a record high. The total proceeds have more than tripled to US$7.01 billion during the first eight months of 2024 compared to US$2.48 billion around the same time last year. This surge in IPOs is likely to continue through the coming year, bolstered by a strong domestic economy, the government’s push for digitisation, and a dynamic startup ecosystem.

“India has been witnessing multiple successful IPOs, and it is critical to navigate through its complex tax and regulatory landscape to ensure compliance and optimise shareholder value. The forum organised by IVCA would be a good platform for eminent speakers to disseminate their experience on the nuances that companies planning for IPO need to consider,” said Bhavin Shah, Partner, Deals Tax Leader, PwC India.

Foreseeing this immense potential for India’s financial ecosystem, the Indian Venture IPO & Exit Strategies Forum 2024 will unite seasoned professionals from venture capital, family offices, institutional investors, and representatives from soonicorns, unicorns, and startups. The forum will provide attendees with unparalleled insights into exit strategies, including IPOs, mergers and acquisitions (M&As), and secondary sales, as well as include detailed discussions on the most effective exit options, featuring case studies from founders who have navigated the IPO and acquisition landscape.

Prashant Gupta, Partner, National Practice Head – Capital Markets, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. said, “Having been involved on all recent significant new economy IPOs, we look forward to working with IVCA to sharing our learnings with the wider audience at the Indian Venture IPO & Exit Strategies Forum 2024 and working with other participants to set industry standards.”

Designed to enhance the participants’ knowledge about the specifics of these strategies, the forum will cover a range of topics-learning the IPO playbook, negotiating tax and regulatory requirements, determining IPO appropriateness for businesses, and more. The speakers will also dive into the basics of structuring the pre-IPO investment rounds.

Manick Wadhwa, Partner & Executive Board Member, SKI Capital said, “Vibrant capital markets are crucial for startups, providing the growth capital needed to scale, and offer VCs the liquidity essential for fueling economic expansion. SKI Capital is pleased to partner with IVCA on this forum, which unites industry leaders to discuss IPO and exit strategies, fostering collaboration and valuable insight-sharing.”

As more Indian companies go public, they will drive improvements in market liquidity, boost investor confidence, and draw in domestic and global investors. Such a cycle of investment and growth is critical for cultivating a robust startup ecosystem, which would ultimately enhance the Indian economy and position it as a major player in the global market. The Indian Venture IPO & Exit Strategies Forum 2024 will provide attendees with the necessary insights and key perspectives of the IPO and exit process in the current market context, guiding startups to launch successful IPOs and investors to make seamless exits.

Jamil Khatri, Co-founder & CEO, Uniqus said, “Indias startup and alternative capital ecosystems are poised for significant transformation with exit planning serving as a crucial lever for unlocking further growth potential. The vibrant equity markets have made IPOs an attractive option for emerging companies in their growth journey. Executing a successful IPO requires robust planning and execution across several workstreams, both financial and non-financial. Further, significant work is required to ensure that the transition to a publicly listed company is as smooth as possible. The IVCA forum provides an excellent platform to explore these critical matters, and we are excited to share Uniqus’ practical insights on how to craft a successful journey into the public markets.”

This forum is an initiative of the Venture Capital Council at IVCA, will include notable speakers from across the investment landscape, namely, Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Peak XV Partners; Ramakrishnan Subramanian, Executive Director, PwC; Padmaja Ruparel, Co-founder, IAN Group; Sharad Chaudhry, Partner, Uniqus; Rohit Tiwari, Partner, SAM & Co.; Neha Grover, Head of South Asia Practice of PE Funds & Co-Investment, IFC, World Bank Group; Himanshu Mandavia, Partner, Price Waterhouse & Co LLP; Shashikant Shenoy, Partner, Accounting & Reporting Consulting, Uniqus; Alok Gupta, Partner, Head of India, Foundation Private Equity; Nikhil Naredi, Partner, SAM & Co.; and Srinath Srinivasan, Chief Executive Officer, Oman India Joint Investment Fund.

Dr. Harish Ahuja, Head, Sustainability Carbon & Power Markets, Listing, NSE; Nitin Agarwal, Head of Private Equity, Neo Asset Management; Anuj Bhargava, Managing Director and Head of Corporate and Strategic Development for India and South East Asia, Lightspeed; Dipanjan Basu, Co-founder and Partner, Fireside Ventures; Manish Khetarpal, Co-Founder and Partner, WaterBridge Ventures; Sakshi Chopra, Managing Director, Peak XV Partners; Pankaj Naik, Managing Director and Co-Head, Digital & Technology, Avendus Capital; K G Subramanian, Managing Director & CFO, Nexus Venture Partners; Aseem Dhru, MD & CEO, SBFC Finance; Ankit Agarwal, Managing Partner, Alteria Capital; Vaibhav Goel, Partner and CFO, Elevation Capital, will be sharing their expertise on how to raise an IPO successfully.

Additionally, Raghuram K, Partner, Accounting & Reporting Consulting, Uniqus; Navjot Kaur, Director, Epiq Capital; Manick Wadhwa, Executive Director, SKI Capital; Ruchi Khajanchi, CFO, A91 Partners; Karan Bhagat, Founder MD and CEO, 360 One; Amit Pandey, Lead: VC Ecosystem and Capacity Building, IVCA will also be a part of this exclusive forum.

About IVCA – Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association

The Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA) is a not-for-profit, apex industry body promoting the alternate capital industry and fostering a vibrant investing ecosystem in India. IVCA is committed to supporting the ecosystem by facilitating advocacy discussions with the Government of India, policymakers, and regulators, resulting in the rise of entrepreneurial activity, innovation, and job creation in India and contributing towards the development of India as a leading fund management hub. IVCA represents 46% of overall AIFs in the country, and its members are the most active domestic and global VCs, PEs, funds for infrastructure, real estate, credit funds, limited partners, investment companies, family offices, corporate VCs, and knowledge partners. These funds invest in emerging companies, venture growth, buyouts, special situations, distressed assets, and credit and venture debt, among others.