Indian firms get invite to list on HK bourse

Hong Kong on Wednesday initiated a process to attract Indian companies to list on its stock exchange, saying ample liquidity in that market will help local companies raise resources.

A delegation led by Hong Kong financial secretary John C Tsang discussed with a dozen Indian companies, most of them big corporate houses, the possibility of listings on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE).

Tsang and his officers also visited the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) to “understand and discuss” the matter with its CEO Rajinkant Patel and other senior executives.

The delegation is also looking to encourage the derivatives trading on Indian benchmark stock indices – Sensex and Nifty – on HKSE.

Speaking to the media, Tsang said at present, nearly 40 per cent of the stocks listed on HKSE were from the mainland China and that the number of foreign companies was very small.

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) on BSE’s Sensex is listed on HKSE but no Indian company has explored a Hong Kong listing as yet. There are over 40,000 Indians in Hong Kong. There are also 1,500 Indians’ promoted companies in the region.

“Hong Kong can be a good platform for Indian companies to tap the mainland,” he said. A dual-listing (India-listed companies going for listing on an overseas bourse) was also welcome, Tsang said.