In a move to bring transparency and regulation to India’s capital markets, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is exploring the concept of 'when-listed' securities trading. This initiative would allow IPO allottees to trade shares during the three-day gap between the close of an IPO and its official listing,

SEBI is working on introducing a new system that allows trading in shares of companies that are in the process of listing.

As per regulations, firms launching IPOs have to ensure that listing happens in three days of the issue closing

India's securities market regulator is exploring measures to allow trading of IPO entitlements before listing to reduce black market activities

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is considering creating a platform to allow stock allottees to trade their shares, before they are officially listed on stock exchanges. SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch revealed the initiative at an event today.

India’s securities market regulator is considering steps to formalize trading in initial public offerings where bidding has closed, but the shares are yet to be listed.

Sebi’s proposal to introduce a “when-listed” trading period aims to bring transparency to pre-listing transactions and curb grey market practices. The move underscores the regulator’s broader push for ethical governance and investor trust in India’s booming capital markets.

Sebi is looking at introducing a system where an investor can sell shares as soon as they are allotted in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to curb grey market activity, chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said on Tuesday.

If implemented, this would open the trading window for investors even before a company’s IPO is listed on NSE, BSE. At present, there is a three-day gap between the closure of an IPO and the listing of shares.