NSE Chief Says Going Public Could Be the Biggest Growth Hack for Startups

NSE CEO Ashish Chauhan urged startups and MSMEs to view public listing as a strategic growth tool rather than just a fundraising exercise, stressing that founders can retain control while accessing growth capital.

According to Chauhan, listed companies benefit from stronger governance, greater credibility, easier access to finance, ESOPs and higher valuations that can support long-term expansion.

Since its launch in 2012, the NSE's SME platform has helped companies raise over ₹21,700 crore and build a combined market capitalisation of more than ₹2 lakh crore.

National Stock Exchange (NSE) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ashish Chauhan has urged startups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to view public listing as a strategic growth tool rather than merely a fundraising exercise, saying access to capital markets can help businesses scale faster while allowing founders to retain control.

Speaking at the JITO Incubation and Innovation Foundation (JIIF) Foundation Day event, Chauhan encouraged entrepreneurs to focus on building profitable and sustainable businesses instead of being distracted by short-term movements in stock prices. His remarks come shortly after the NSE filed its draft prospectus for its long-awaited initial public offering (IPO).

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According to Chauhan, public markets offer far more than access to capital. Listing can improve corporate governance, enhance a company's credibility, attract top talent and provide businesses with a stronger platform for long-term expansion.

He explained that companies can unlock significantly higher valuations after listing. As an example, Chauhan said a business generating an annual profit of around ₹2 crore could potentially command a market capitalisation of ₹40-50 crore once it enters the stock market.