Regulatory measures of SEBI for Primary Market reforms in India

Primary Market Reforms in India – SEBI Guidelines

SEBI has introduced various guidelines as regulatory measures for capital issues. They are as below:

1. Disclosure of All Material Facts is made Compulsory: SEBI has made it compulsory for companies do disclose all the facts and risk factors  regarding the projects undertaken by the company. The basis on which the premium amount is calculated should also be disclosed by the company as per SEBI norms. SEBI also advises the code of ethics for advertising in media regarding the public issue.

2. Encouragement to Initial Public 0ffers: In order to encourage Initial Public Offers (IPO) in the primary market, SEBI has permitted companies to determine the par value of shares issued by them. SEBI has allowed issues of IPOs to go for “Book Building” – i.e. reserve and allot shares to individual investors. But the issuer will have to disclose the price, the issue size and the number of securities to be offered to the public.

3. Increase of Popularity to Private Placement Market: In recent years, private placement market has become popular with issuers because of stringent entry and disclosure norms for public issues. Besides low cost of issuance, ease of structuring investments and saving of time lag in issuance are the other causes responsible for the rapid growth of private placement market.

4. Underwriting has made Optional: To reduce the cost of issue in primary market, SEBI has made underwriting of issue optional. However, the condition that if an issue was not underwritten and was not able to collect 90% of the amount offered to the public, the entire amount collected would be refunded to the investor is still in force.

5. Issue of Due Diligence Certificate: The lead managers have to issue due diligence certificate, which has now been made part of the offer document.

6. Conditions regarding Application Size etc.: SEBI has raised the minimum application size and also the proportion of each issue allowed for firm allotment to institutions such as mutual funds.

7. Regulation of Merchant Banking: SEBI has brought Merchant banking under its regulatory framework. The merchant bankers are now to be authorized by SEBI. Merchant bankers, now have a greater degree of accountability in the offer document and issue process.

8. Imposition of Compulsory Deposit on Companies making Public Issues: In order to induce companies to exercise greater care and diligence for timely action in matters relating to the public issues of capital, SEBI has advised stock exchanges to collect from companies making public issues, a deposit of one per cent of the issue amount which could be forfeited in case of non-compliance of the provisions of the listing agreement and, non-dispatch of refund orders and share certificates by registered post within the prescribed time.

9. Reforms as to Mutual Funds: The Government has now permitted the setting up of private mutual funds and a few have already been set up. UTI has now been brought under the regulatory jurisdiction of SEBI. All mutual funds are allowed to apply for firm allotments in public issues. To improve the scope of investments by mutual funds, the latter are permitted to underwrite public issues. Further, SEBI has relaxed the guidelines for investment in money market instruments. Finally, SEBI has issued fresh guidelines for advertising by mutual funds.

10. Vetting of Offer Document: SEBI vets offer documents to make sure that the company listing the shares has made all disclosures in it. All the guidelines and regulatory measures of capital issues are meant to promote healthy and efficient functioning of the issue market (or the primary market).

Despite all these steps, there are flagrant breaches of issue procedures through collusion between unscrupulous promoters and corrupt officials in the lead banks and even of the top officials of SEBI.