The Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed to increase the shareholding limit for strategic invesors in stock exchange to 15% from the present 5%.
Certain categories of investors such as other stock exchanges, depositories, clearing corporations, banks and insurers can now raise their holdings in Indian stock exchanges. The 5% limit will, however, continue to apply for other investors like individuals and companies. As reported by FE earlier, the regulator had been receiving requests from certain quarters that the present limit of 5% is acting as a deterrent for attracting long term anchor, or strategic, investors in stock exchanges. And that it had begun exploring the idea for increasing the stake. Suggestions from stock exchanges mentioned that the existing 5% limit, the shareholding of any single investor/ investor group was too small to encourage them to take sufficient interest in the growth of the exchange or to effectively drive the progress of the exchange as anchor investors. "Little wonder then that despite Deutsche Borse and Singapore Stock Exchange having stakes in the Bombay Stock Exchange had not seen any major effect on the exchanges' functioning and also product offering," said a member on the stock exchange. "May be now we will see a lot of action," he added. The Sebi document notes, "The stock exchanges are public institutions and therefore as a matter of public policy, no individual investor should be allowed to hold a predominant position in them. At the same time, considering the market demands, it would be desirable to provide a high enough shareholding limit so as to encourage long term anchor and strategic investors who can contribute to the development of the stock exchanges." Such long term investors need to be sufficiently motivated to take keen interest in the functioning of the stock exchange and to contribute to its growth by providing the necessary value addition in terms of technology, market and product design, managerial inputs, etc, it added. Already, there are talks that these strategic investors also want to have a seat on the board of directors and directly contribute to the exchange's functioning. The Sebi, has told FE that it was not averse to having overseas strategic investors' presence on the boards as it was an internal exchange related matter. Sebi has invited comments and suggestions on this matter and these should reach the regulator before September 19, 2008. Source: Financial Express ekamber The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes. ---Churchill --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Kences1" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/kences1?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
