Definition
Mainboard IPO
A mainboard IPO is a public issue on the primary boards of the NSE and BSE, subject to the full SEBI eligibility and disclosure regime.
Mainboard issues must meet SEBI ICDR eligibility — either profitability and net-worth tests or the alternative QIB-allotment route — and their offer documents are reviewed by SEBI. They are open to all investor categories, including retail, with a small minimum lot value (around ₹14,000–₹15,000).
Mainboard listing brings wider analyst coverage, index eligibility and deeper liquidity than the SME platforms. Most large, well-known Indian companies raise capital through mainboard IPOs.
Related terms
- SME IPOAn SME IPO is a public issue by a small or medium enterprise listed on a dedicated exchange platform with relaxed eligibility but higher minimum investment.
- Migration to MainboardMigration is the process by which an SME-listed company moves up to the mainboard of the NSE or BSE once it meets the larger exchange's criteria.
- Eligibility Norms (IPO)Eligibility norms are the SEBI conditions a company must satisfy to make a mainboard IPO, covering profitability, net worth and track record.
Plain-English explainer from The Dispatch Investors Encyclopedia. General information, not financial advice.