Merchant Banking In India

Many businesses and investors approach merchant bankers for raising funds through IPOs, FPOs, debt issuance and private placements. In India, all the merchant bankers are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). To learn about the merchant banker’s definition, role, and services, read this post.

Definition of Merchant Banking 

A merchant banker is an individual or entity, which provides fee-based professional assistance to corporations and the governments for securities’ subscription. He plays an essential role in the financial market and carries a lot of responsibilities like, private placement of securities, managing public issuance of securities (IPO), stock broking and international financial advisory services.

Merchant bankers in India are registered with SEBI under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Merchant Bankers) Regulations, 1992. These regulations were last amended on August 18, 2023.

Merchant Banking Services include the following

• Capital raising

• Advisory Services

• Letters of Credit

• Project Finance

• International Financing

• Investment Management Services

• Risk Management Services

• Foreign Exchange Transactions

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List of Merchant Bankers in India

• JPMorgan Chase

• Goldman Sachs

• Citigroup

• SBI Capital Markets

• Axis Capital

• Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities India

• Bank of America Securities India

• Edelweiss Financial Services

• Avendus Capital

• Ashika Capital Limited

Role of a Merchant Banking in India

Let’s check out the merchant banking role played by merchant bankers in India:

• Merchant Bankers are crucial for the process of underwriting new securities issues.

• They oversee every step of issuance of new securities. This involves creating the prospectus, choosing the type of securities to be issued, setting the price and managing the sales and marketing of securities to investors.

• They offer advisory services to corporations regarding financial matters. This includes giving advice on restructuring of the company, mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning.

• They assess potential sellers and buyers, make out the financial sustainability of companies and negotiate the terms of agreements.

• They look after portfolios owned by high net worth individuals and firms. 

• They identify suitable investments, keep an eye on performance of securities and make the required changes or modifications for their clients.

• One of the merchant banking features of merchant banks is that they operate globally, dealing with cross border transactions and engaging in international financial markets.

SEBI Guidelines for Merchant Banking

The following are the guidelines by SEBI for merchant bankers in India:

• The merchant banker is authorized to perform underwriting activity by SEBI. However, if they want to provide portfolio management services, they must seek separate registration from SEBI.

• After receiving SEBI’s approval for merchant banking, the merchant bankers are authorized to operate for 3 years only.

• Unlike a non banking financial company, a merchant banker cannot accept deposits or finance others’ business.

• The activities of a merchant banker are limited to capital market activities only.

• The minimum net worth requirement for a merchant banker is Rs 5 crore.

• A liquid net worth of a minimum of 25 percent of the minimum net worth requirement must be maintained by the merchant banker at all times.

• SEBI can revoke merchant banker registration in case of any violation.

• Merchant bankers cannot be NBFCs. They must be body corporates.

• They must have a professional qualification in the field of law, finance or business management.

Conclusion

Merchant bankers in India play an important role for businesses and investors. They act as intermediaries between clients and financial markets. If you want to raise capital through an IPO, then you can reach out to a merchant banker. If you do not have any merchant banker in your mind, you can connect with Registrationwala to avail IPO consulting services. We’ll guide you on all the requirements and connect you with a merchant banker. 

FAQs

Q1. How many merchant banks are there in India?

A. As of 30th September, 2024, there are 225 merchant banks in India. Check list here

Q2. Is SBI a merchant bank?

A. The State Bank of India is not a merchant bank. However, its wholly owned subsidiary SBI Capital Markets is a merchant bank.

Q3. What is the difference between a merchant banker and an investment banker?

A. Merchant bankers offer similar services as investment bankers. However, compared to investment bankers, the merchant bankers work with smaller businesses having potential to grow. On the other hand, investment bankers work with large corporations.

Q4. Merchant bankers are registered with which entity?

A. All the merchant bankers in India are registered by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

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Author: Dushyant Sharma

Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.