Exchanges extend validity for SME IPO approvals amid global turmoil

Move follows Sebi's relief to mainboard IPOs, offering SMEs additional time to launch issues as global volatility continues to weigh on capital-raising plans

Stock exchanges have extended the validity of in-principle approvals granted to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) planning to launch initial public offerings (IPOs), following a similar relaxation by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for mainboard issuances.

 

Under the revised framework, SMEs whose listing approvals are set to expire between April 1 and September 30 will receive a one-time extension until September 2026, exchanges said.

 

Companies availing of the extension will be required to submit an undertaking confirming compliance with Sebi’s Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements (ICDR) Regulations at the time of filing their offer documents.

 

Earlier, Sebi had granted comparable relief to mainboard IPO-bound companies by extending the validity of its observations expiring in the first half of FY27. The move came in response to concerns from market participants over challenges in raising capital amid heightened global volatility. 

Sebi bans Trdez Investment for ‘ponzi-like scheme’ 

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has imposed a penalty of ₹1 crore on stock broker Trdez Investment for allowing its registration to be misused by connected entities that allegedly mobilised funds from investors through high-return schemes. 

Earlier, exchanges had expelled the broker. In an adjudication order, Sebi said directors of the firm, along with associated persons, had created a network of partnership firms that raised money from the public while claiming links to the Sebi-registered broker. 

These entities allegedly promised returns of 8-10 per cent per month and operated in a manner “akin to Ponzi schemes”.