MSME POLICY ALERT

A Major milestone in the history of MSMEs in India; major announcement by SEBI made this afternoon.

The SEBI Board met today and took the following decisions:
A. SME Exchange/ Platform:

• Companies listed on the SME exchanges would be exempted from the eligibility norms applicable for IPOs and FPOs prescribed in the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2009 (ICDR).
• In order to have informed, financially sound and well-researched investors with a certain risk taking ability, a minimum IPO application size of Rs. 1 lakh would be prescribed.
• The minimum trading lot would be Rs. 1 lakh.
• An upper limit of Rs. 25 crore paid up capital would be prescribed in order for a company to be listed on the SME platform/exchange and a minimum paid up capital of Rs.10 crore would be prescribed for listing on the main boards of NSE and BSE.
• The offer document will have to be filed with SEBI and the exchange. No observations would be issued by SEBI on the offer documents filed by the Merchant Bankers (MBs).
• The MB to the issue will bear the responsibility for market making for a minimum period of three years. MBs would be allowed to do market making along with a disclosed nominated investor (like PE, VC, HNI and QIB). Under this arrangement, all the stock being bought and sold as part of market making will ultimately get transferred to the disclosed nominated investor with whom the Merchant Banker has a contractual agreement. Merchant Banker would have to disclose their intention of this arrangement and have it approved by stock exchanges where the issuer SME is listed.
• Certain well capitalized registered entities like Venture Capitalists may be allowed to have a contractual agreement with the Merchant Banker to share the burden of devolvement of underwriting obligation.
• During the compulsory market making period, promoters/acquirers will be allowed to dilute their shareholding only through offer for sale or to an acquirer and not to a market maker.
• SEBI regulations on Takeover (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers Regulations) will not be applicable to acquisition of shares through Merchant Banker /Market Maker provided that the Merchant Banker/Market Maker does not have the intention of taking over the management and there is no change in control (direct /indirect) of the company.
• Merchant Bankers who have the responsibility of market making and have a firm allotment made in IPO for purpose of market making may, at their option, be represented on the board of directors of the company in view of the commitment of market making subject to agreement of the issuer. However this will not be mandatory on the Merchant Banker.
• No separate category of Merchant Bankers will be created.
• Merchant Bankers will be required to ensure that the issue is 100% underwritten. However only a minimum percentage (15%) of the issue size will be mandated to be compulsorily underwritten by the Merchant Banker itself.
• A minimum number of investors (say 50) shall be specified for the IPO only. There shall be no continuing requirement of maintaining the minimum number of investors. However, compliance with the requirements of Companies Act, 1956 needs to be ensured at all times.
• No separate registration will be required for brokers intending to service companies listed on the SME exchange/platform.
• Companies listed on the SME exchange/platform shall compulsorily migrate to an equity exchange/segment (main board) on exceeding the Rs 25 crore post issue paid up capital limit. Further also, if follow on offer/rights issue results in triggering of the above limit (of Rs. 25 crore) then the company would have to migrate to the main board.
• Companies listed on the SME exchange/ platform of an existing exchange may send to their shareholders a statement containing the salient features of all the documents as prescribed in section 219 (1) (b) (iv) of Companies Act, 1956. This information shall also be displayed on the website of the exchange. Further the Company shall compulsorily maintain a website on which this information can be displayed.
• Investors with holdings of value less than Rs. 1,00,000 (such reduction in the holding may have been due to fall in prices or his having offloaded a part of the holdings previously), are allowed to off load their holding to the Market Maker in that scrip. (provided that the investor sells his entire holding in that scrip in one lot). Market Makers will be authorised to buy these shares from such investors.
• Preparation and submission of financial results (as mandated in the listing agreement) on a “half yearly basis” for SMEs, instead of “quarterly basis”.
• All the provisions of clause 49 (corporate governance) need to be complied with.