NSE IPO likely in 7–8 months; no fresh issue, 4–4.5% stake sale via OFS: Ashish Chauhan

The National Stock Exchange’s (NSE) initial public offering (IPO) is likely to hit domestic primary markets in the next 7–8 months, with India’s largest stock exchange set to offload 4–4.5% of its equity through existing shareholders, ET Now reported, quoting Managing Director and CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan. He clarified that NSE will not raise fresh capital, as the issue will be a pure offer for sale (OFS).Chauhan added that the pricing of the IPO will be determined by prevailing market conditions and NSE’s profitability at the time of the issue.

“Broadly speaking, ours is a more than listed company today. We have 191,000 shareholders… we give sort of.. all the quarterly results and any material even that happens as if we were a listed company,” he said further.

“…so broadly it is a way to formally recognize that listing framework and to give more liquidity to existing shareholders as well as new shareholders who want to come in…so it’s more a procedural activity and nothing to do with pricing or other things,” Chauhan said.

#Budget2026 | “Our IPO is likely to take 7–8 months from now,” says NSE’s Ashish Chauhan, sharing details on the listing timeline and pricing strategy@ashishchauhan @NSEIndia #UnionBudget2026 #BudgetOnETNOW #NirmalaSitharaman pic.twitter.com/CeJ1XhWtDc

— ET NOW (@ETNOWlive) February 1, 2026

India’s markets regulator Security and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Friday gave its no-objection certificate for the long-awaited IPO of NSE. The clearance marks a key regulatory milestone for India’s largest stock exchange, which has been preparing for a public listing for several years amid governance reforms and regulatory scrutiny.

“We are delighted to receive SEBI approval for our IPO — a significant milestone in our growth journey,” Srinivas Injeti, Chairperson, NSE said after the exchange received the regulatory nod.

“With SEBI’s approval, we embark on a new chapter of value creation for all our stakeholders. This approval also reinforces confidence in NSE being an integral part of the Indian economy and a beacon of Indian capital markets,” he said.

With Sebi’s nod in place, NSE is expected to move closer to finalising the structure and timing of its IPO, though the exchange is yet to make an official announcement. According to an earlier Reuters report, NSE is said to be planning to file its draft listing papers by the end of March and is in discussions with investment bankers and law firms to finalise the prospectus and assess investor appetite.

The unlisted shares of NSE are currently trading at Rs 2,120 on InCred Money.

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