SME IPOs shrug off pandemic, mop-up surges nearly five-fold in 2021

Garner Rs 746 crore from 59 offerings as risk-on sentiment returns

Collections from public share sales of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) saw a resurgence in 2021 after seeing a lull in CY20 in the aftermath of the pandemic.

SMEs have mopped up Rs 746 crore from 59 offerings in 2021, 4.7x the amount garnered in 2020 from 27 offerings. This is still far lower than the record Rs 2,287 crore mopped up in 2018 and Rs 1,679 crore collected in 2017.

According to experts, the number of issuances dropped in 2020 as investors preferred larger companies that were deemed to be more resilient amid the pandemic rather than risking their