The government’s offer for sale in Hindustan Copper opened for non-retail investors today, with retail participation set to open on August 26.

The floor price for the OFS has been fixed at Rs 514 per share, a 9.5% discount to the stock’s Monday closing price of Rs 567.90.

The government will sell a base 3% stake, roughly 2.90 crore shares, with an option to retain oversubscription for another 3%, taking the total offer size to up to 6% of the company’s issued and paid-up equity capital.

If the full 6% is sold, the promoter’s shareholding in Hindustan Copper would decline from 66.14% to approximately 60.14%.

A 10% reservation has been set aside for retail investors, along with a dedicated pool of 25,000 shares for eligible company employees.

At the floor price, the government could raise around Rs 894 crore from the sale, with some estimates placing the overall transaction value at close to Rs 3,000 crore.

Hindustan Copper is a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Mines and is India’s only vertically integrated copper producer, covering mining, beneficiation and smelting.

Offer for sale transactions are a common route used by the government to meet minimum public shareholding norms or raise non-tax revenue from its stake in listed public sector companies.

The stock’s performance in the days following the OFS will be watched closely, as such sales can sometimes weigh on share prices in the near term due to the increased supply of shares in the market.

The floor price acts as the minimum bid price for institutional investors on the first day, with the final allotment price determined based on the bids received during the book-building process.

Retail investors, who get access on the second day, are typically allotted shares at either the floor price or a further discount, depending on the specific terms set for the retail category in this OFS.

Photo by Jonathan Zander, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Hy-Tech Engineers Ltd’s initial public offering opened for subscription on Monday, August 24, with a price band fixed at Rs 50 to Rs 53 per equity share.

The issue will remain open until August 27, giving investors a four-day window to apply before the book-building process closes.

The IPO comprises a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 60 crore and an offer for sale worth Rs 75.73 crore, taking the total issue size to Rs 135.73 crore.

The minimum lot size for retail investors is 283 shares, translating to a minimum investment of roughly Rs 14,999 at the upper end of the price band.

Allotment for the issue is expected to be finalised on August 28, with the stock tentatively scheduled to list on both the NSE and BSE on September 1.

Hy-Tech Engineers is among several companies tapping India’s primary market this week, with five mainboard and five SME offers scheduled across the August 24 to September 1 window.

Grey market premium, an informal indicator of listing-day sentiment, has moved from Rs 5 on August 19 to around Rs 22-25 in the days leading up to the opening, though it is not a guaranteed outcome and can change before listing.

IPO proceeds from the fresh issue portion are typically used by companies for working capital requirements, debt repayment, or funding expansion plans, details of which are laid out in the company’s prospectus.

The IPO comprises a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 60 crore and an offer for sale worth Rs 75.73 crore, taking the total issue size to Rs 135.73 crore.

The minimum lot size for retail investors is 283 shares, translating to a minimum investment of roughly Rs 14,999 at the upper end of the price band.

Allotment for the issue is expected to be finalised on August 28, with the stock tentatively scheduled to list on both the NSE and BSE on September 1.

Photo by Niyantha Shekhar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued more than 150 notices to major food and beverage companies as part of a crackdown on misleading advertisements, false claims and labelling violations.

Companies named in the drive include Nestle India, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola India, Abbott India, Red Bull India, Danone India and Monster Energy India, among several others.

FSSAI said the action was taken to protect consumers from misleading information and ensure products in the market comply with established safety and labelling standards.

Twelve notices were also sent to e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart, with one Amazon warehouse licence cancelled as part of the crackdown.

More than 30 notices went to food service chains including KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Costa Coffee, with five Domino’s licences suspended.

The regulator said several companies have already begun taking corrective measures following the notices, as part of what has been described as one of its biggest enforcement drives to date.

FSSAI said in a statement that the notices covered misleading advertisements, false claims and labelling non-compliances found during its review.

The regulator noted that several of the companies named have already begun taking corrective measures following the notices, as part of its ongoing compliance enforcement effort.

FSSAI has framed the drive as part of a broader push to strengthen consumer protection standards across the food and beverage industry, rather than a one-off campaign targeting specific brands.

The companies named include Nestle India, PepsiCo, Abbott India, Red Bull India, Danone India, Monster Energy India, Hell Energy, Mondelez India, Coca-Cola India, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Ferrero India and Kenvue.

The violations flagged by FSSAI span misleading advertisements, false health claims and labelling non-compliances across the companies’ product lines.

Twelve notices were also issued to major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart, with one Amazon warehouse licence cancelled as part of the enforcement action.

Photo by Chaitra B.H., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0