NSE Asks Shareholders To Tender Stake In IPO: Can You Participate In OFS Now

NSE IPO OFS: The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has started the process for its initial public offering (IPO) by reaching out to existing shareholders to take part in an offer-for-sale (OFS) process. In its communication, the exchange has invited expressions of interest (EOI) and has asked shareholders to confirm whether they want to sell part or all of their holdings in the IPO. The NSE has shared EOI forms and annexures that explain the rules and conditions for participation. Shareholders are required to respond by April 27, 5 PM.

Who Can Tender Shares

Not all shareholders can sell their shares in the IPO. According to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) rules, only those who have held their shares for at least a year before the filing of the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) are eligible to participate in the OFS process. Any shares that do not get sold in the OFS will be locked in for six months after the stock is listed.

When Will NSE File DRHP

The OFS process is expected to take over a month. Once it is complete, the exchange is likely to submit its draft IPO papers to Sebi by the end of May, according to a Bloomberg report.

NSE Shareholding Pattern

The NSE has seen its shareholder base grow rapidly, from just over 39,000 in March 2025 to over 183,000 by December 2025, largely due to activity in the unlisted market. Public shareholders hold around 64.45 per cent of the exchange, broken down into foreign investors at 26.81 per cent, domestic institutions at 5.40 per cent, retail investors at 12.30 per cent, high net-worth individuals (HNIs) at 9.65 per cent, and corporates at 7.07 per cent.

The remaining 35.55 per cent is held by non-promoter, non-public shareholders, including insurance companies at 19.21 per cent, led by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) at 10.72 per cent, banks and financial institutions at 4.57 per cent, and corporates, such as Stock Holding Corporation of India and SBI Capital Markets at 9.88 per cent. Veteran investor Radhakishan Shivkishan Damani also holds 1.58 per cent stakes in the exchange.

NSE Share Price

NSE shares are currently trading at Rs 1,925 apiece in the unlisted market. The stock has gained 16.67 per cent over the past year, according to Unlisted Zone, a marketplace for trading unlisted stocks.

NSE: World’s Largest Derivatives Exchange

The NSE was the first exchange in India to introduce electronic trading and had started operations in 1994. It has been the largest stock exchange in India in terms of total and average daily equity turnover every year since 1995, according to its press releases.

It is the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume of contracts, according to the Futures Industry Association (FIA) for 2024, and ranks second globally in the equity segment by number of trades on an electronic order book, according to the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).