LIC IPO gets green signal from CCEA; GoM to decide on timing, quantum of shares

Keeping the government's plan to come up with the mega IPO of insurance major LIC in the ongoing financial year intact, the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given in-principle approval to the initial public offering (IPO)

A top official source said that the CCEA in its meeting on July 7 approved the reworked plan for IPO finalised by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), clearing the several impediments for the country's largest IPO.

"We have also fixed the way for the offer and how investors should be roped in to the insurer. With this, the road has been cleared for the IPO that in any case we were planning for FY22," the official said.

The highly placed source further told IANS that now the alternative mechanism (AM) or the Group of Ministers would sit to decide on the timing and quantum of shares to be offered. The appointment of managers for the issue will also follow.

Post-the Union Budget FY22, the government has taken several legislative and executive steps to pave way for the mega IPO.

As per the amendments proposed under the Finance Bill 2021, the authorised share capital of LIC shall be Rs 25,000 crore, divided into 2,500 crore shares of Rs 10 each.

The capital market regulator SEBI has also eased the minimum public offer norms in a bid to pave the way for the LIC IPO.

In February, the board of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to recommend changes in regulations, and for issuers with post issue market capital exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore, the requirement of minimum public offering (MPO) will be reduced from 10 per cent of post issue market capital to Rs 10,000 crore along with 5 per cent of the incremental amount beyond Rs 1 lakh crore.

The government expects to bring the IPO around Diwali this year.

According to the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) K.V. Subramanian, the LIC IPO may fetch the government around Rs 1 lakh crore.