From 96% holding to a sliver: How Gensol promoters made swift exit

Sebi order alleges misleading disclosures, fraudulent trades, fund diversions helped promoters offload their stake onto unsuspecting investors

When Gensol Engineering made its public market debut through a small and medium enterprises (SME) initial public offering (IPO) in September 2019, its promoters held a commanding 96 per cent stake. Now, that figure has shrunk to a “negligible” fraction.

 

According to an order by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), this steep decline was not organic but allegedly orchestrated through a network of false disclosures, sham transactions, and diverted funds, which effectively led to a near-total promoter exit, even as unsuspecting investors were left holding the bag.

 

The company’s ₹18 crore IPO had seen modest demand, having