Paytm may skip pre-IPO share sale to fast-track listing

Paytm, backed by SoftBank, Berkshire Hathaway, and Jack Ma's Ant Group, plans to raise as much as $2.2 billion from its share sale, according to its draft prospectus

Fintech giant Paytm, which is headed for an initial public offering (IPO) at a valuation of $20-22 billion, is considering not going ahead with a pre-IPO share sale so as to fast-track the company’s market debut timeline, multiple sources told Business Standard.

However, Paytm declined to comment on the matter as it is observing a silent period before the IPO. The company’s plan of shelving the pre-IPO fundraise is not related to any valuation differences as had surfaced in certain media reports on Thursday. 

“Pre-IPO is always just an option for companies heading for a market debut and it’s not