Reliance Accelerates Jio IPO Plans; DRHP Filing Expected Within 2–3 Weeks at $100–120 Billion Valuation
Reliance Industries Ltd is moving rapidly to list its prized telecom and technology subsidiary Jio Platforms Ltd, in what is expected to be India's largest-ever initial public offering. The company is in the final stages of preparing its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), with a filing to the Securities and Exchange Board of India targeted within the next two to three weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.
Jio IPO: Key Details at a Glance
- Target valuation: $100 billion to $120 billion (with Morgan Stanley and Citi Research analysts pegging it even higher at approximately $133 billion, implying a multiple of 13x estimated FY27 EV/EBITDA).
- Stake dilution: Jio plans to dilute just 2.5% equity to meet listing requirements.
- Structure: Largely a large offer-for-sale (OFS) by existing investors.
- Financials: The DRHP will incorporate December-end financial results.
- Lead bankers: Kotak Mahindra Capital and Morgan Stanley India are reportedly in pole position to lead the transaction.
If the listing proceeds as planned later this year, it would mark the first public offering from the Reliance Industries stable in nearly two decades — a milestone moment for India's capital markets.
A Regulatory Tailwind That Changed the Game
Jio's IPO push gained decisive momentum last week after the Union Ministry of Finance eased public shareholding norms for large-cap companies. Under the revised rules, companies with a post-issue valuation exceeding Rs 5 trillion (approximately $54 billion) are now permitted to list by diluting a minimum of just 2.5% equity — a sharp reduction from the previous 5% requirement for mega-cap companies, and far below the standard 25% free-float rule applicable to most companies.
Reliance had been specifically awaiting this regulatory change before committing to the listing process, allowing the conglomerate to maximise capital retention while satisfying SEBI's listing requirements.
17 Banks Appointed to Manage the Deal
To manage a transaction of this extraordinary scale, Jio formally kicked off preparations by appointing a syndicate of 17 banks. The global roster includes heavyweights such as Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and HSBC. On the domestic side, Kotak Mahindra Capital, Axis Capital, JM Financial, and SBI Capital Markets have been engaged in advisory roles.
Who Are the Existing Investors Looking for an Exit?
Between 2020 and 2021, Jio Platforms raised more than Rs 1.5 trillion by selling a combined 32.96% stake to a high-profile roster of global investors. The upcoming IPO will offer these marquee backers their first opportunity at liquidity. The cap table includes:
- Technology giants: Meta Platforms and Alphabet (Google's parent company).
- Private equity firms: Silver Lake, KKR, and General Atlantic.
- Sovereign wealth funds: Mubadala and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia.
Market Backdrop: A Challenging Environment
While Jio brings unmatched scale and a dominant domestic position in wireless, entertainment, and cloud services, it will be navigating a significantly more challenging market environment than India enjoyed in 2024 and 2025.
India raised approximately Rs 1.6 lakh crore via IPOs in 2024 and Rs 1.95 lakh crore in 2025, establishing itself as the world's second-largest IPO market by proceeds. However, 2026 has painted a starkly different picture. Amid the Iran war-driven geopolitical uncertainty and broader market stress, the average listing premium across 45 IPOs as of March 12 stands at a meagre 0.3% — the weakest aggregate listing performance since at least 2019, according to Prime Database.
The Jio IPO will therefore serve as a critical litmus test for institutional appetite and India's capacity to absorb a mega-cap offering in a volatile macro environment. With competitors Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea already listed, Jio's debut will draw intense valuation comparisons and investor scrutiny.
For retail investors, the Jio IPO represents a rare opportunity to invest directly in India's largest telecom and digital services platform — one that already touches hundreds of millions of subscribers. However, given the current market climate and the modest 2.5% float, allocation and liquidity dynamics will be closely watched.
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