Spurred by investor interest, as many as 100 small and medium enterprises (SME) are expected to list on the BSE’s platform this year, a top official of the bourse said today. Last year, around 55 SME companies had tapped the IPO route and got listed on the exchange’s platform.

“The IPO pipeline is good, which shows confidence among the companies. We are expecting around 100 SME IPOs in 2018,” BSE SME Head Ajay Thakur told PTI. Moreover, 22 companies have already secured BSE’s approval, while another 19 firms are awaiting its go-ahead. Funds raised through the issue will be used for business expansion plans, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes.

These companies belong to a range of sectors such as logistics services, media, automotive components, pharma, infrastructure and hospitality, among others. “Most of the companies that approached us are from Gujarat and Maharashtra,” he added.

Governance structures, improved credit rating, easy finances and branding are some of the key benefits for listing on the SME platform. BSE had launched SME platforms in March 2012 to provide an opportunity to such firms to raise capital for growth and expansion. Since then 224 companies have got listed on its SME segment and 44 of these firms have migrated to the main board platform. Currently, there are 180 companies listed on the BSE’s SME platform. This segment has helped these firms to raise a staggering Rs 1,834 crore.

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