Sebi chief Madhabi Puri Buch stated on Friday that the total amount of funds raised from the capital markets, including through debt and equity instruments, is expected to increase by about 21% to Rs 14.27 trillion in FY25 from Rs 11.8 trillion in FY24.
Buch claims that during the final nine months of the current fiscal year, companies had raised a total of Rs 10.7 trillion through the sale of Rs 3.3 trillion in stocks and Rs 7.3 trillion in debt.
Speaking at a NISM-hosted conference here, Buch said, "If we project for the next quarter (Q4), we will probably end somewhere like over Rs 14 trillion raised for the year in terms of capital, both equity and debt."
According to Buch that just around Rs 10,000 crore in capital was raised overall in the first nine months of FY25, with very little of that coming from infrastructure investment trusts, real estate investment trusts, or municipal bonds.
Buch says that the capital markets regulator has pledged to reduce the time needed to clear board proposals from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and is working to expedite the approval of issuances.
While banks provide in-principle approvals in 15 minutes, Sebi takes up to three months for such SME issuances, she said, adding that it would prefer to deploy more technological tools to expedite the issuances.
Buch claimed that while IPOs receive a lot of attention and that Sebi is "flooded" with new applications related to them, other channels such as preferential issuances, institutional placements, and rights issues are equally significant and might not be as well-known.
The regulator has devised a system to expedite the issue of rights, and she expressed the expectation that the industry will follow suit.
The Sebi chairperson said that the regulator has been clearing new mutual fund offers significantly faster, and that systematic investment plans (SIPs) with a minimum of Rs 250 will be issued soon.
She praised local institutional investors' resource mobilization over the last few years, noting that this fund has assisted during periods of volatility that may result in a pull-out by international portfolio investors.
Buch stated that Sebi receives criticism for moving too quickly in a variety of areas, but that the pace is vital if we are to reach our development goals.
