Author: Staff Writer

India’s leading eyewear retailer, Lenskart, has secured regulatory approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to proceed with its initial public offering (IPO).

The approval relates to its draft red herring prospectus, which includes a fresh equity issue of ₹2,150 crore alongside an offer for sale (OFS) by promoters and early investors. According to sources, the OFS is expected to involve the sale of up to 132.3 million shares.

In terms of structuring, co-founder Peyush Bansal intends to offload around 20 million shares, while other founders such as Neha Bansal, Amit Chaudhary, and Sumeet Kapahi will each sell smaller stakes.

Institutional backers including SoftBank, Temasek, Kedaara Capital, Alpha Wave Ventures, Premji Invest, and others have also been named among prospective sellers in the OFS component.

Lenskart’s total IPO size is projected to be in the range of ₹7,500 crore to ₹8,000 crore, taking into account both the fresh issue and the OFS. After gaining SEBI’s nod, the company is expected to file an updated prospectus in the coming weeks and eye a mid-November listing.

The business has shown a strong financial rebound. In FY25, Lenskart turned profitable, posting a net profit of about ₹297.3 crore, compared to a net loss of around ₹10.2 crore in FY24. Its revenues increased by nearly 22–23 percent year-on-year to about ₹6,652.5 crore. The company has attributed margin improvements to operational efficiencies and scaling advantages.

Proceeds from the fresh issue are earmarked across multiple strategic investments. Around ₹272.6 crore will go into setting up new company-owned stores, ₹591.4 crore toward rent, lease, and license expenses for existing outlets, ₹213.4 crore for technology and cloud infrastructure, and ₹320 crore for brand marketing. The remainder will support acquisitions and general corporate needs.

Ahead of going public, founder Peyush Bansal acquired an additional 2.5 percent stake from existing investors for ₹222 crore, valuing the company at over ₹8,700 crore.

With SEBI’s clearance secured and the public debut timeline set, Lenskart joins a growing wave of Indian startup-era companies transitioning to public markets this year.

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Goodluck India Ltd has achieved significant milestones in its defence sector expansion. The company’s subsidiary, Goodluck Defence & Aerospace, has obtained an industrial license under the Indian Arms Act, 1959, to manufacture medium-caliber artillery shells ranging from 105mm to 155mm, including variants such as HE M107 and ERFB.

This license positions Goodluck Defence as a key player in India’s artillery ammunition supply chain, with an initial annual production capacity of 150,000 shells, set to commence trial production in the third quarter of fiscal year 2026.

In a strategic move to bolster its presence in the aerospace sector, Goodluck India has also entered into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd and Axiscades Technologies.

This collaboration aims to develop India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

The consortium has submitted an Expression of Interest to the Aeronautical Development Agency, Bengaluru, to participate in the tender process, combining strengths in engineering, electronics, and defence manufacturing to enhance India’s technological sovereignty.

These developments have positively impacted Goodluck India’s stock performance.

On October 3, 2025, the company’s shares rose by 2.55% to ₹1,341, marking a new all-time high.

Over the past five trading sessions, the stock has gained over 12%, reflecting investor confidence in Goodluck India’s strategic initiatives in the defence sector.

Looking ahead, Goodluck Defence plans to expand its artillery shell production capacity and is exploring opportunities for an initial public offering (IPO) to further fund its defence ventures.

The company remains optimistic about meeting the growing demand for advanced artillery systems and combat aircraft components, both domestically and internationally.

Goodluck India’s forging division continues to support other high-profile projects, including manufacturing components for the Bullet Train project, HAL, and DRDO, reflecting the company’s diversified engineering capabilities. The combined focus on defence, aerospace, and critical infrastructure projects positions Goodluck India as a growing force in India’s industrial and strategic landscape.

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 Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) continued its growth journey with a good profit in September 2025, closing a total sales of 568,164 units, which is up 5.44% compared to the same month last year.

Of these, 505,693 units were sold in the domestic market, reflecting a 2.85% rise, while exports jumped by 32.43% to reach 62,471 units, leveraging the company’s growing footprint internationally.

The company also saw momentum build month-over-month, with September sales climbing nearly 6% over August 2025, highlighting a steady demand trajectory heading into the festive season.

For the first half of the financial year 2025–26 (April to September), HMSI recorded 2.99 million unit sales, including 2.68 million sold in India and 311,517 units exported.

Honda’s steady growth in both domestic and export markets highlights its push to expand the product range and strengthen its footprint in key regions. With the festive season boosting demand, the company looks well-placed to carry this momentum forward in the coming months.

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Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Wockhardt has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for its novel antibiotic, Zaynich (WCK 5222), marking a significant milestone in Indian pharmaceutical innovation.

This submission, made in early October 2025, seeks approval for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) gram-negative bacteria, including strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Zaynich is a combination of zidebactam, a β-lactam enhancer, and cefepime, a fourth-generation cephalosporin. It has demonstrated over 97% clinical efficacy in Phase III trials, surpassing the standard-of-care meropenem by 20%.

The ENHANCE 1 trial, conducted across 64 sites in countries including the United States, India, and several European nations, enrolled 530 patients with serious infections.

Zaynich achieved a 96.8% clinical cure rate and a composite clinical and microbiological cure rate of 89%, outperforming meropenem’s 68.4% in the same endpoint.

The drug has also shown promise in compassionate use cases, with reports indicating that it has saved at least 51 lives in the United States and India as of mid-2025. Some earlier reports suggest that 30-50 patients had been treated with a 100% success rate.

Following the NDA submission, the USFDA will conduct a 60-day filing review to assess the application’s completeness. If accepted, Zaynich may be granted either Priority Review, with a six-month timeline, or Standard Review, with a ten-month timeline. The process includes facility inspections, labeling negotiations, and potentially an advisory committee meeting. Zaynich has received Fast Track and Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designations, which expedite the review process and offer five additional years of market exclusivity upon approval.

Wockhardt anticipates a decision by mid to late 2026 and is targeting a U.S. launch in fiscal year 2027. The global market for gram-negative infections is estimated to be over $7 billion, with more than 8 million cUTI cases reported annually in the U.S. and European Union. Zaynich’s potential to address this unmet medical need positions it as a promising candidate for approval.

This submission is notable as it represents the first-ever NDA submission to the USFDA for a drug fully discovered and developed by an Indian pharmaceutical company, marking a pivotal moment for Indian pharma innovation. Wockhardt plans to commercialize Zaynich independently in the U.S., though it has not ruled out potential partnerships.

The successful development and potential approval of Zaynich underscore the growing capabilities of Indian pharmaceutical companies in pioneering novel therapies to combat global health challenges.

If approved, Zaynich could significantly enhance Wockhardt’s global footprint and revenue, reinforcing India’s position in the global pharmaceutical landscape.

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Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) has announced the operationalisation of 112.5 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy projects at Khavda, Gujarat, bringing its total operational capacity to 16,598.6 MW.

The new capacity comprises an 87.5 MW solar project and a 25 MW hybrid project, both commissioned through AGEL’s step-down subsidiaries: Adani Renewable Energy Fifty Six Limited and Adani Green Energy Twenty Five B Limited, respectively.

The power generation from these plants commenced on September 30, 2025, following the necessary clearances. The addition at Khavda, a region known for hosting some of India’s largest renewable energy sites, marks another milestone in AGEL’s expansion roadmap.

This development aligns with AGEL’s broader strategy to increase its clean energy portfolio. The company has previously announced plans to invest ₹31,000 crore (approximately $3.64 billion) in fiscal year 2026 to add 5 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity, aiming for a total of 50 GW by 2030. This expansion is part of India’s broader renewable energy goals and reflects AGEL’s commitment to contributing significantly to the nation’s clean energy capacity.

The announcement of the new operational capacity has positively impacted AGEL’s stock performance. On October 1, 2025, the company’s shares rose nearly 4%, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s growth prospects and the successful commissioning of these new projects.

As AGEL continues to expand its renewable energy footprint, the company remains focused on its long-term vision of sustainable growth and contributing to India’s renewable energy targets. The successful operationalisation of these projects underscores AGEL’s role as a key player in the nation’s transition to a more sustainable energy future.

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Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) will acquire a 41.2% controlling stake in Sammaan Capital, the Indian housing finance company formerly known as Indiabulls Housing Finance, for $1 billion (₹8,850 crore).

The deal will make IHC the company’s promoter, giving it the right to appoint a majority of the board of directors.

The acquisition will be carried out through IHC’s affiliate, Avenir Investment RSC Ltd., via a preferential allotment. Under the arrangement, IHC will subscribe to 330 million equity shares and 306.7 million convertible warrants of Sammaan Capital at ₹139 each. The transaction is subject to approvals from the Reserve Bank of India and the Competition Commission of India. Additionally, it will trigger a mandatory open offer to acquire up to 26% of the company’s shares from existing shareholders.

Sammaan Capital, listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India, is one of the country’s largest non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) with a focus on mortgage lending. The company operates over 220 branches in more than 150 towns and cities and employs over 4,400 people. Over the past 25 years, Sammaan Capital has disbursed home loans worth over $19 billion to more than 680,000 families and provided mortgage-backed loans exceeding $9.5 billion to over 100,000 small businesses.

Gagan Banga, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Sammaan Capital, said the investment by IHC will help the company expand into a full-service financial institution and strengthen its ability to serve India’s aspiring middle-class and underserved segments. He noted that partnering with a global player like IHC would bring additional resources and credibility to the company.

IHC, owned by the Abu Dhabi ruling family, has rapidly grown into one of the region’s largest holding companies, with investments across finance, healthcare, real estate, and manufacturing. The acquisition of Sammaan Capital is part of the company’s strategy to diversify into emerging markets and strengthen its financial services portfolio. Syed Basar Shueb, CEO of IHC, said the investment reflects confidence in India’s long-term economic growth and the potential of its financial sector. He also highlighted plans to leverage technology and artificial intelligence to enhance lending and credit solutions at Sammaan Capital.

Market analysts say the deal marks the largest foreign investment in India’s NBFC sector in recent years and could pave the way for more cross-border transactions in financial services. The deal is also expected to increase access to capital for underserved populations and expand the company’s lending capacity in India’s growing housing finance market.

The regulatory process for the acquisition is underway, and the transaction is expected to close in the coming months. Once completed, IHC will assume control of the company’s operations, setting the stage for strategic expansion and diversification.

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