Danish brewer Carlsberg files for India unit IPO

COPENHAGEN: Danish brewer Carlsberg has confidentially filed for an initial public offering of its Indian business, it said on Thursday, joining a growing number of multinational companies seeking to tap India’s buoyant equity markets.

The confidential route allows companies to keep their IPO filings with the country’s markets regulator private until the launch. The planned Carlsberg India listing will not raise fresh capital and will allow the parent company to sell part of its stake, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The brewer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carlsberg Group. The move adds to a string of multinational companies turning to Indian equity markets to monetise their investments, rather than raise fresh capital. Hyundai Motor and LG Electronics have both pursued stake sales via Indian IPOs, attracted by relatively richer market valuations.

A listing of its Indian business could unlock shareholder value for Carlsberg through a higher standalone valuation, while providing access to local capital for expansion and helping the brewer reduce debt, AL Sydbank analyst Mikkel Emil Jensen said. Carlsberg shares were up 2.5percent at 0855 GMT. The planned IPO will also test India’s capital markets, which have cooled in recent months after the US-Israeli war on Iran rattled global markets and weighed on investor sentiment. Even so, the second half of the year is shaping up to be busy, with heavyweight IPOs from Jio Platforms and the National Stock Exchange of India lined up.

Jio’s planned USD3.8 billion offering could become India’s biggest-ever listing, while NSE’s long-awaited debut is also expected to rank among the largest.

The progress and timing of the planned Carlsberg India IPO will depend on regulatory approvals and prevailing market conditions, the company said in a statement. The IPO, which could be worth as much as USD700 million, could take place later this year, Bloomberg News reported earlier, citing sources.