India's investment bankers are counting on another hectic year of capital raising. Some 23 companies have raised $2.9 billion through IPOs so far this year, more than the total raised in the previous seven years. And share sales by listed companies have raised an additional $3.9 billion. Indeed, the tally next year should match or outpace 2004's record, said Amit Chandra, managing director of DSP Merrill Lynch.
"Next year we would see IPOs from new sectors such as aviation and infrastructure, apart from the traditional industries," Chandra said.
Companies and the government are lining up new issues, encouraged by a $1 billion initial public offering from Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), India's top software services exporter, and a $2.3 billion share issue by energy explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC).
And investors are primed after the successes of 2004, which saw media firm TV Today Network Ltd's shares more than double and those of state-run Power Trading Corporation of India Ltd nearly triple on the first day of trading.
"The pipeline is swelling and we are heading into an exciting year," said Ravi Sardana, vice president of ICICI Securities Ltd.
With the stock market drawing in record foreign investment and the economy expected to grow at least 6 percent in the year to March, deal-makers are banking on fat profits. Fees on government deals are 0.4 to 0.5 percent of the deal's value while those on private companies are as high as 3 percent, bankers say.
The lion's share of business has gone to the Indian units of Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan and HSBC. Local firms such as Kotak Mahindra Capital Co, ICICI Securities Ltd, and Enam Financial Consultants also did well.
Bankers said the government is looking to sell a 5 percent stake in ONGC - the nation's most valuable company - and in state-owned Punjab National Bank in 2005.
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