WeWork India slips in trading debut amid valuation, governance concerns

WeWork India Management shares settled 3% lower in their trading debut on Friday, valuing the co-working space provider at 84.25 billion rupees (about $950 million), as investors worried about steep valuation and governance risks.

The shares opened barely above the IPO offer price of 648 rupees and fell as much as 5.2% to 614.25 rupees.

The firm, which licenses its brand from its now-bankrupt U.S. namesake WeWork Global, raised about $338.16 million in its IPO that was subscribed 1.15 times, driven largely by institutional bids.

"The market was not very comfortable with the valuation, and WeWork is now facing the heat," said Aishvarya Dadeech, chief investment officer at Fident Asset Management.

 

In terms of growth expectations too, WeWork appears less attractive than peers, Dadeech said, referring to projected revenue growth of 22% over fiscal years 2023 to 2025, behind listed peers such as Smartworks Coworking Spaces, IndiQube Spaces and Awfis Space Solutions.

WeWork India's listing came at a busy time for India's primary market. On Thursday, LG Electronics India was bid 54.02 times, becoming the most subscribed billion-dollar IPO in nearly two decades, while Tata Capital's IPO drew bids worth $1.24 billion.

Beyond a crowded IPO market, WeWork India faces deeper challenges - from corporate governance concerns to questions over its ability to sustain operations and fund expansion amid slowing demand as well as rising competition from lean, profitable rivals.

Proxy advisor InGovern Research Services warned investors of WeWork India's fragile financials, including negative cash flow, high lease liabilities, and the absence of a fresh capital infusion.

WeWork India did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company operates flexible offices across eight major Indian cities, competing with peers such as Smartworks, which has risen 35% since its July debut, and IndiQube Spaces, which fell 15% after listing but has since recovered to trade 4% higher than its listing price.

Smartworks has a market capitalization of 68.9 billion rupees, while IndiQube is valued at 47.6 billion rupees, according to exchange data.