SME Times News Bureau | 02 Aug, 2020
In an exclusive interview with SME
Times, Ajay Thakur, Head of BSE SME & Startups, said that he expects more SME
listings after end of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Excerpts of the interview…
Please tell our readers present
position of BSE SME segment?
Ajay Thakur: The
BSE SME segment has 324 companies listed who have raised Rs 3300 crs from the
market. The market capitalisation of these 324 companies is Rs 17800 crs
and represent 24 sectors. Another 56 companies have filed the
prospectus and will get listed in due course.
Do you expect more listings post
COVID-19 crisis?
It
is expected that post Covid the economy may see speedy recovery. This will
bring positive sentiment in the market and we expect increase in number of
listings on the SME Platform.
Some SMEs are still unaware about
benefits of listing? What will be your message to the?
Ajay Thakur: We
are creating lot of awareness program along with industrial and professional
association. We are also talking to a lot of promoters of SMEs and do their
hand holding. My message to the promoters will be to get their company listed
on the SME Platform and avail the benefits associated with. It will help in a
big way to the growth, credibility and visibility of the company.
Please share your future plans with our
readers.
Ajay Thakur: We
have been very proactively doing the awareness program since the launch of SME
Platform as we were aware that for the inclusive growth of the country the
well-being of SME sector is critical. Going forward
we will increase the penetration to Tier-II and Tier-III cities by engaging
with various industrial clusters and local industrial association. We
have already signed MOU with three State governments viz UP, West Bengal
and Haryana for jointly increasing the awareness about benefits of listing. We
are planning to engage with various other state governments also to
increase the awareness in their respective states. We are also trying to
increase investors’ interest on the SME Platform.
In future we
will keep on conducting awareness program across the country with all
industrial, SME and professional association. In continuation to this we have
also launched Start-up platform last year. As we all know that India is
the third largest hub for Start-up and for their growth it was necessary to
provide them alternative platform to raise funds and create visibility.
We have also signed MoU with IIT Alumni for the growth of Start-up
platform. Altogether 5 Start-up got listed and raised Rs 22.5 crs and the
market capitalisation is Rs 84 crs.