Barclays plans India equity capital markets re-entry amid IPO boom
India remains one of the busiest markets for share sales, prompting global banks to strengthen their local investment banking franchises. Barclays is now preparing to re-enter the country’s equity capital markets business as it adds bankers and capital to pursue the opportunity.
Highlights
- Barclays Plc plans to rebuild its India equity capital markets business from scratch, per CEO Pramod Kumar at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.
- The bank aims to address the missing equity capital markets segment in its India business, complementing current capabilities in financing, M&A, and corporate banking.
- Barclays is hiring bankers and adding capital to compete for IPO and share sale mandates in one of the world’s busiest ECM markets.
India ECM rebuild takes shape
As reported by Bloomberg, Barclays Plc is preparing to rebuild its presence in India’s equity capital markets business from the ground up, according to Pramod Kumar, chief executive officer of Barclays India.Kumar said in a television interview at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi that the bank sees a long-term structural opportunity in the market. He said Barclays already has a strong investment banking offering across financing, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate banking, and views equity capital markets as the missing piece.
Push to compete in active share sale market
The planned return would position the London-based bank to compete more directly in one of the world’s busiest markets for initial public offerings and other share sales.Barclays is adding bankers and capital as it assesses the expansion, signalling a broader effort to capture more fee-generating business in India’s growing capital markets sector.
Our earlier article on Canada–India trade engagement covered the latest ministerial talks in New Delhi aimed at advancing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement and boosting commercial ties. It also highlighted Canada’s goal to double two-way trade with India to $70 billion by 2030, underscoring the broader momentum behind cross-border investment and market activity tied to India’s growth story.