What is an IPO? Why it matters
What is an IPO
An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the
event when a privately-held company offers its shares to the public for the
first time, thereby becoming a publicly traded company.
The process typically involves:
- The company engaging investment
banks/underwriters to determine number of shares to issue, pricing band,
marketing (“road-show”), and regulatory compliance.
- A draft red-herring prospectus (DRHP) or
prospectus filed with the regulator (in India, Securities and Exchange
Board of India, SEBI), disclosing financials, business model, risks.
- Setting a price band (for a book-built
issue) or fixed price (for some SME issues) and opening subscription for
retail investors, HNIs, QIIs etc.
- Shares get allotted to investors
(possibly by lottery/pro-rata if oversubscribed) and then listing on an
exchange (e.g., National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) / Bombay Stock
Exchange (BSE)).
Why does it matter for investors?
- IPOs let retail investors participate in
the growth story of a business from the early days of its public life.
- They often generate high interest,
especially for companies with strong growth prospects, leading to
oversubscription and listing gains.
- At the same time, they carry risks:
valuations may be stretched, business may still be in infancy, listing day
buying can be volatile.
Hence, for a platform like Lares Algotech which deals with algorithmic trading and strategy building, understanding upcoming IPOs can help design strategies (timing, allocation, risk management) around new listings.
2. The IPO climate in India in 2025
The Indian IPO market in 2025 is showing
notable activity:
- According to a recent analysis, there had
been around 80 listings in 2025 till end-September, raising over
₹80,000 crore. Over the next few weeks (October‐November) an additional
~₹41,000 crore could be raised.
- Platforms like Groww, Zerodha list
upcoming IPOs, showing many companies in pipeline across sectors.
- SME (Small & Medium Enterprise) IPOs
and mainboard IPOs both are active. The SME segment offers smaller issue
sizes and fixed price offerings.
Key observations for IPO watchers/algorithmic
traders at Lares Algotech:
- Sectoral diversity: The upcoming IPOs span sectors –
fintech, NBFCs, retail, manufacturing, automation, healthcare etc. This
means the algorithms/trading strategies must account for sector-specific
risk/return characteristics.
- Valuation pressure: With many companies listing, valuations
are under scrutiny; it becomes important to check fundamentals, growth
plans, potential earnings.
- Volatility around listing: New listings often witness high initial
volatility (both on opening day and days following); algorithms may need
to incorporate such volatility events for position sizing.
- Retail participation rules &
allotment dynamics:
Given that retail participation is mandated and oversubscription is
common, algorithms may factor in the likelihood of allotment, grey market
premium (GMP), listing gains, etc.
Thus, for investors using platforms like Lares
Algotech’s automated tools, monitoring upcoming IPOs provides both
opportunities (early entry) and risks (valuation, volatility) which should be
baked into strategy modules.
3. Who can apply for an IPO & how
Who can invest?
In India, according to SEBI rules:
- Qualified Institutional Investors (QIIs): large institutions (mutual funds,
banks, FIIs) registered with SEBI. They often have lock-in obligations for
a period (e.g., 90 days) post-allotment to reduce volatility.
- Anchor Investors: A subset of QIIs, with assets over a
certain threshold (e.g., ₹10 crore+), who can apply before the IPO opens
for public.
- Retail Investors: Individuals investing up to ₹2 lakh in
the IPO allotment category for retail. Companies issue a minimum
allocation (often 35%) for retail.
- High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs)/Non-Institutional
Investors (NIIs): NIIs
are non-institutional investors investing more than ₹2 lakh; HNIs
typically reside in a category overlapping NIIs with different cut-offs.
How to apply online
Here’s a typical flow (via UPI/ASBA):
- Log in to your broker/trading app (many
digital brokers support IPO application).
- Navigate to “IPO” section – list of open
and upcoming issues appears.
- Select the IPO, check the price band/lot
size, enter number of lots and bid price (within price band) or fixed
price (for fixed price issue).
- Provide your UPI ID (for gateway) or
provide bank ASBA (Application Supported by Blocked Amount) instructions –
ensures funds are blocked in account until allotment.
- Submit application. If allotted shares,
funds are deducted; if not allotted, funds unblocked.
- After listing, you can start
trading/selling as per your strategy.
Pre-requisites & tips
- You need a Demat account (and typically a
trading account to sell later).
- PAN card is mandatory.
- Funds must be available or adequately
blocked via ASBA/UPI.
- Do your due diligence: read the
DRHP/prospectus, check business model, growth trajectory, peer valuations,
risks.
- Timing of your bid matters (e.g., bidding
at highest price band may increase probability but could reduce upside).
- For algorithms/trading platforms, anticipate listing day volatility, lock-in periods (for anchor/QIIs) etc.
4. Key metrics & how to evaluate an IPO
When evaluating an IPO (and for an algorithmic
model in Lares Algotech platform), here are some important metrics and qualitative
factors:
- Business model clarity: Is the company profitable or
loss-making? What’s the growth potential? In which market does it operate?
- Valuation vs peers: What is the price band? How does
implied valuation compare with comparable listed companies?
- Issue size & dilution: How much money is being raised? Are
existing promoters/PE investors selling (offer for sale) or is it fresh
capital (which may be used for expansion/debt etc)?
- Use of proceeds: What will the raised funds be used for?
Growth, debt repayment, capex, working capital?
- Financials & risk factors: Revenue growth, profitability margins,
debt levels, regulatory risks.
- Market conditions & sentiment: Overall market mood (bullish/bearish),
IPO pipeline, macro-economic factors.
- Allocation & likelihood of allotment: For retail investors, oversubscription
risk is high; grey market premium (GMP) may provide early indication of
demand.
- Listing day/first week strategy: Will you hold for long term or trade
listing pop? Your algorithm can consider listing day behaviour, maybe book
profit or hold for growth.
For Lares Algotech, this means building modules such as “IPO strategy filter” where upcoming IPOs are scored on these metrics, then automated alerts/trades based on watcher logic (e.g., apply to IPOs scoring above a threshold, allocate small percentage, monitor listing day pop vs hold for 3-6 months etc).
5. Selected Upcoming IPOs in 2025
Below is a detailed list of upcoming
IPOs (both SME and mainboard) in India for 2025 – with the data you provided
plus some additional context. Where full details are not yet announced, they
are shown as “to be announced”.
|
Company
Name |
Issue
Date (Open) |
Price
Range |
Issue
Size |
Other
Notes |
|
Finbud Financial Services (SME) |
06 Nov 2025 – 10 Nov 2025 |
₹140 to ₹142 per share |
₹71.68 crore |
Allotment on: 11 Nov 2025 |
|
Pine Labs Ltd (Mainboard) |
07 Nov 2025 – 11 Nov 2025 |
₹210 to ₹221 |
₹3,899.91 crore |
Allotment on: 12 Nov 2025 |
|
Curis Lifesciences (SME) |
07 Nov 2025 – 11 Nov 2025 |
₹120 to ₹128 |
₹27.52 crore |
Allotment on: 12 Nov 2025 |
|
Shining Tools (SME) |
07 Nov 2025 – 11 Nov 2025 |
₹114 per share (fixed) |
₹17.10 crore |
Allotment on: 12 Nov 2025 |
|
Fabindia Ltd |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
Well-known retail brand; IPO planned |
|
Cogent E-Services Ltd |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Droom Technology Ltd |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
VLCC Health Care |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Inspira Enterprise India |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Healthium Medtech |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Asianet Satellite Communications Ltd |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Joyalukkas India Limited |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Kids Clinic India Ltd |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
EBIXCASH IPO (Mainboard) |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Infinion Biopharma Ltd |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Capillary Technologies IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Uma Converter Limited IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Gujarat Polysol Chemicals IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Vikram Solar IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Go Airlines IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Penna Cement Industries Ltd (Mainboard) |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Keventer Agro IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Sterlite Power Transmissions Ltd IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Fincare Small Finance Bank Ltd IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Nandan Terry IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Lava International Ltd IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Gemini Edibles & Fats India Ltd IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
ESDS Software Solution Ltd IPO (Mainboard) |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Navi Technologies IPO |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
|
Snapdeal IPO (Mainboard) |
To be announced |
To be announced |
To be announced |
— |
A few highlights & commentary
- The Pine Labs IPO is a large sized
mainboard issue (~₹3,900 crore) and hence will attract institutional
interest and likely strong retail allocations.
- The SME issues (Finbud, Curis, Shining
Tools) are smaller in size, more retail-oriented, with possibly higher
risk but also higher potential upside (though SME listings often carry
more uncertainty).
- Many of the “to be announced” IPOs
include well-known brands (FabIndia), tech ventures (Capillary), finance
(Fincare) and manufacturing (Penna Cement). These indicate that 2025 is a
year of broad sector participation.
- As per recent research, stock-market data indicates that India’s pipeline of upcoming IPOs could raise tens of thousands of crores in the remaining weeks of 2025.
- Platforms like Groww list real-time upcoming IPO details (open/close dates, price bands) which helps investors stay alert. Groww
6. What’s driving this IPO surge in 2025
Several structural and market-specific factors
are underpinning the wave of IPOs in India in 2025:
- Strong capital markets & investor
appetite –
Indian equity markets have been buoyant, with improving corporate
profitability and investor comfort with new listings.
- Startup & tech ecosystem maturity – A number of previously private growth
companies/startups are matured enough to consider public listing (the
“unicorn to IPO” transition). Inc42 Media+1
- Regulatory clarity & improved process – SEBI and listing exchanges have
refined IPO processes, leading to smoother timelines.
- Sectoral growth tailwinds – For example: fintech & digital
finance (Pine Labs), renewable/solar (Vikram Solar), consumer retail
(FabIndia), manufacturing & export. Investors are seeking
participation in structural growth stories.
- Use of proceeds for growth/debt reduction – Many firms are listing to raise growth
capital or clean up balance sheets before scaling up, which improves
investment confidence.
- Algorithmic and trading participation – With algorithmic platforms (like Lares
Algotech) enhancing accessibility, the retail investor base for IPOs is
deeper than earlier, increasing demand and liquidity.
All of these factors make 2025 a potentially
strong year for IPOs—but equally, with higher expectations comes higher risk
(valuation risk, execution risk).
7. Key strategies for IPO investing (via Lares Algotech)
For an algo-trading platform like Lares
Algotech, here are practical strategy tips to integrate IPO workflows:
a)
Screening model for IPO applications
Create a filter with criteria such as:
- Price band is within acceptable range
relative to peer valuations.
- Company has a track record (financials
improving, manageable debt).
- Issue size not excessively large (for
retail participation).
- Sector tailwinds (identify structural
growth sectors).
- Use of proceeds is transparent, growth
oriented or debt-light.
- Underwriter/bank credibility and
listing-exchange assurances.
Only companies which meet a minimum score proceed
to the “apply” list. This improves risk-adjusted approach rather than a blanket
apply strategy.
b)
Allocation strategy
- Decide retail allotment size (percentage
of portfolio) for IPOs. One rule: limit exposure to 1-3% of total
portfolio per IPO to manage risk.
- For SME IPOs (higher risk), maybe
allocate a smaller portion or treat as speculative.
- Automate alerts on bidding open/close
dates, lot sizes, and reminders on payment blocking.
c)
Pre-listing monitoring & grey market signals
- Monitor grey market premium (GMP) for the
IPO in the pre-list period – higher GMP may indicate strong demand (and a
potential listing pop).
- Use algorithmic triggers: e.g., if GMP
> X % and subscription rate in anchor/institutions > Y, then
increase allocation; else stay cautious.
- Monitor subscription status (retail, NII,
QII) via exchanges – if oversubscription is very high, allotment chances
drop, so position accordingly.
d) Listing
day / Early trade strategy
Options:
- Short-term strategy: If listing pop is likely (based on GMP,
demand), set algorithm to flip the shares quickly (first-day profit
booking).
- Medium/long-term strategy: If fundamentals are strong and
valuation reasonable, hold beyond listing, maybe 3-6 months or more.
- Hedging strategy: For large positions, consider hedging
with index/futures or options on listing day to manage downside.
e)
Post-listing tracking & exit rules
- Set exit/stop-loss rules: e.g., if price
drops > X % below issue price in first week, exit; or hold if price
> issue price and fundamentals intact.
- Track post-listing performance: many IPOs
show first-week volatility; algorithms should adapt if momentum fades or
if fundamentals worsen.
- Rebalance: After IPO listing, the
portfolio may be skewed; rebalance to manage concentration risk.
f) Portfolio
context & risk management
- Treat IPO exposure as part of broader
portfolio risk architecture. IPOs can be more volatile than established
stocks.
- Ensure diversification across sectors,
themes and segments (mainboard vs SME).
- Liquidity risk: some SME stocks may have
lower liquidity post-listing, which algorithms must account for (slippage,
trading cost).
- Monitor lock-ins: Some anchor/QII portions are locked-in post listing; market supply may increase when lock-ins expire, affecting pricing.
8. Alerts and what to watch for each of the IPOs listed
Here are specific alerts/triggers Lares
Algotech could generate for some of the IPOs:
- Finbud Financial Services (SME): Since this is SME, issue size ₹71.68
crore, price band ₹140-142. Alert: check subscription data on last day; if
retail oversubscription very high, likelihood of listing pop improved but
allotment chances lower.
- Pine Labs Ltd (Mainboard): Large issue (~₹3,900 crore) with price
band ₹210-221. Mainboard listing means higher scrutiny and larger institutional
interest. Alert: check anchor investor bids, peer valuations (fintech
payment companies) before applying.
- Curis Lifesciences (SME): Smaller size ~₹27.52 crore, a
biotech/health-science angle (lifesciences). Alert: biotech carries higher
risk; check regulatory approvals, drug pipelines, revenue model.
- Shining Tools (SME): Issue size ₹17.10 crore, fixed price
₹114. High risk, small size, SME segment. Algorithmic allocation should
maybe limit exposure.
- FabIndia Ltd: Although many details are “to be announced”,
brand recognition is strong. Alert: when price band is announced, check
valuation compared with listed retail/lifestyle peers; also check offline
vs online business mix.
- Others “to be announced”: For each of these (e.g., Capillary Technologies, Fincare SFB, Penna Cement etc), set alerts for DRHP filing, SEBI clearance, issue date announcement, price band, and use the screening model once details emerge.
9. Risk factors & cautionary notes
While IPOs are exciting, there are several
risks which should be embedded in algorithmic strategy and investor mindset:
- Valuation risk: New companies may carry high valuations
(based on future growth) which may not materialize, leading to price
correction.
- Business execution risk: Even if a company has strong narrative,
execution (scaling up, competition, regulatory hurdles) could fail.
- Limited track record: Particularly for SMEs and startups,
financial history may be short, margins volatile, business model unproven.
- Lock-in & supply unlock risk: Post-listing, when promoter/QII lock-in
ends, large supply may hit market causing price pressure.
- Liquidity risk: Some listings (especially SME) may have
low post-listing liquidity, making exit harder.
- Market risk: IPO performance is sensitive to overall
market sentiment – a downturn in broader markets can dampen listing
performance irrespective of company fundamentals.
- Allotment risk: Even if you apply, you may not get
shares (often oversubscribed). Algorithmic models must account for “no
allotment” outcome when planning capital deployment.
- Grey market mismatch: High GMP may create expectation of
listing pop, but if conditions change (funds flow, macro), listing
performance may disappoint.
For Lares Algotech, this means building in risk filters, deploying position sizes based on risk weightings, and potentially setting stop-loss/trailing stop mechanisms for IPO-derived positions.
10. Conclusion & call to action for Lares Algotech users
To summarise:
- 2025 presents a vibrant IPO environment
in India, with strong participation in both SME and mainboard segments.
- For algorithmic trading and investment
platforms like Lares Algotech, upcoming IPOs represent a valuable arena:
early application, listing day strategy, post-listing tracking are all
worthy modules.
- However, one must apply discipline:
screening criteria, allocation limits, volatility/risk management and
post-listing exit/rebalance rules are key to converting opportunity into
performance.
- The detailed list of upcoming IPOs (as
above) provides a roadmap; next steps for users would be: pick the IPOs
that pass your screening model, set alerts for application open/close
dates and bidding price band, apply via your broker, and set up tracking
scripts for post-listing performance.
- As the IPO wave continues (and many “to
be announced” issues will become active), staying ahead of announcements,
maintaining a watchlist, and integrating IPO strategy into your broader
portfolio logic will help you stay competitive.
For Lares Algotech users, consider setting up the following workflow:
- IPO Watchlist Module – pull all announced “upcoming IPOs”
(with open/close dates, price band, issue size).
- Screening Filter – based on fundamentals, sector
tailwinds, valuation, size.
- Application Calendar – mark dates, set alerts for bidding
open/close, block funds via UPI/ASBA.
- Allocation Engine – decide percentage of portfolio to
allocate (mainboard vs SME).
- Listing Strategy Module – define whether to flip (short-term) or
hold (medium/long term); set stop-loss/distribution rules.
- Post-Listing Tracker – monitor performance for first
week/month, rebalance as required, log lessons learned (for future IPOs).
Incorporating IPO-specific logic into your
platform enhances the breadth of strategies available to your clients and helps
position Lares Algotech as a holistic trading & investment engine rather
than just base equity/derivative trading.
If you like, I can prepare a downloadable
Excel/CSV of all upcoming IPOs (with open/close dates, price bands, issue
sizes, sectors) for 2025 that you can integrate into your platform. Would you
like me to do that?

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