Govt framing rules for easy foreign listing of start-ups and MSMEs

New rules will formalise an industry practice, reduce costs of transaction

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is finalising the rules for the listing of unlisted companies in foreign jurisdictions, so that it becomes possible for start-ups and small and medium enterprises to raise capital abroad.

The MCA wants to keep the threshold for direct foreign listing at a level that is attractive and feasible for companies. The plan is to allow such listing in eight jurisdictions to begin with. These include the US, the UK, South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, and Canada. The eighth is the International Financial Services Centres Authority’s (IFSCA’s) Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City near Ahmedabad