Softbank-backed Delhivery jumps more than 10% in Mumbai debut

SOFTBANK-BACKED Indian logistics firm Delhivery climbed in early trading as investors brushed off rising global risks to support the nation's second-largest initial public offering (IPO) of the year in its market debut.

The shares rose as much as 12 per cent to 543.95 rupees in Mumbai, versus the issue price of 487 rupees. The company and its shareholders, including Carlyle's CA Swift Investments and SoftBank Vision Fund's SVF Doorbell, had raised 52.35 billion rupees (S$927 million) through the sale of both new and secondary shares.

The listing day pop contrasts with last week's debut of state-run insurer LIC, which dropped 7.8 per cent in its first trading day after an IPO that raised US$2.7 billion, an Indian record. Delhivery's positive start may provide encouragement for companies waiting to tap capital markets amid ongoing global volatility.

Founded in 2011, Delhivery is one of India's largest fully-integrated logistics companies, serving over 17,000 postal codes with a team of 86,000 people, according to its website.

Its equity sale was oversubscribed 1.63 times, with a pick-up in demand coming on the last day and supported mostly by qualified institutional buyers. Non-institutional investors, retail individuals and employees placed smaller bids than the portions reserved for them.

Like LIC, Delhivery previously cut its offering size and delayed its listing on the back of market volatility. The logistics startup and its shareholders initially had been seeking to raise about US$1 billion in a deal that was expected to be priced in March.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Monday, 3.30 pm

Garage

The hottest news on all things startup and tech to kickstart your week.

Sign Up

Still, both companies managed to raise significant funds despite the slowdown in IPOs globally. Total proceeds raised in India since January are higher than those in larger venues such as Hong Kong and London. BLOOMBERG