Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | 19th July 2025: In a landmark move set to redefine India’s IPO landscape, the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) — a coalition of over 50 leading new-age companies — has launched the Centre for New-Age Public Companies (CNPC). This first-of-its-kind initiative aims to support India’s growing wave of IPO-ready startups and recently listed tech-driven firms as they transition from private to public entities.
The CNPC was officially unveiled during a high-level meeting in Mumbai with SEBI Chairman Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, attended by 20 prominent startup founders and business leaders.
Boosting IPO Preparedness Amid a Soaring Market
India’s capital markets have been outperforming global indices, creating strong momentum for startup listings. With nearly 40 tech startups valued at over $90 billion expected to go public soon, the CNPC offers a timely and much-needed platform for founders seeking strategic guidance on public market readiness, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance.
“India’s capital markets are witnessing a structural shift,” said Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President & CEO of the Startup Policy Forum. “With tech-first companies leading IPO trends, the Centre will enhance their readiness, resilience, and ability to thrive in the public market ecosystem.”
Industry Backing and Strategic Focus
Endorsing the initiative, Ashish Chauhan, MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), commented:
“The emergence of new-age startups in the public markets is a major evolution. Platforms like CNPC will foster transparency, good governance, and investor trust—essential components for long-term success.”
The CNPC will operate through four key pillars:
- Advocacy: Active engagement with SEBI, institutional investors, market bodies, and policymakers to ensure India’s capital market regulations are future-ready.
- Capacity Building: Specialized workshops, webinars, and masterclasses covering IPO compliance, ESG standards, investor relations, and governance best practices.
- Community Engagement: A vibrant knowledge-sharing platform for CXOs of listed and soon-to-be-listed startups to collaborate, solve challenges, and drive thought leadership.
- Research & Insights: Creation of tailored toolkits, policy briefs, and governance playbooks for new-age public companies.
Top Founders and Unicorns On Board
The 25-member SPF delegation included leaders from India’s top startup unicorns and IPO hopefuls:
- Ritesh Agarwal (Founder & CEO, OYO)
- Shashank Kumar (Co-founder & MD, Razorpay)
- Rohit Kapoor (CEO, Swiggy Food Marketplace)
- Ankit Fatehpuria (Co-Founder & CFO, Zetwerk)
- Shashank ND (Co-founder, Practo)
- Sanket Shah (Co-Founder & CEO, InVideo)
- Leaders from CRED, Jar, StockGro, ixigo, Bluestone, Acko, and Eazydiner.
SPF’s network already includes several listed Indian startups like Swiggy, ixigo, Ather Energy, MobiKwik, and Blackbuck, with more poised to follow suit — including Pine Labs, Meesho, Groww, IndiQube, Curefoods, Bluestone, and Physics Wallah.
