**India’s Capital Markets Show Remarkable Resilience Amid Global Slowdown**
*By [Author Name]*
*MUMBAI*
India’s capital markets are demonstrating remarkable resilience, driven by robust domestic investor support. This strength is enabling a surge of startups to go public, providing crucial liquidity for venture capitalists like Peak XV Partners to exit their investments.
“This has been the single biggest positive development for all private market investors,” said Shailendra Singh, Managing Director at Peak XV Partners, in an interview with *The Times of India*. “This is the first time India’s capital markets are strong enough to decouple from the US markets and stand on their own.”
### Strong Domestic Support Fuels IPO Activity
Despite a global economic slowdown and dwindling IPO activity in markets like the US, India’s capital markets have thrived over the past three to four years. Singh highlighted that while IPO activity in the US has been minimal for three consecutive years, India has seen a steady flow of startups going public.
“VCs typically invest with an 8-10 year horizon. If there is no liquidity after 8-9 years, it becomes a big problem,” Singh explained. “India has really stood out globally because there has been a downturn elsewhere, but India’s markets are thriving.”
This surge of IPOs is crucial for venture capitalists to deliver returns to their limited partners by providing them with an exit route. Key Indian unicorns backed by Peak XV, such as Pine Labs, Meesho, and Groww, are scheduled for a Dalal Street debut in the current financial year.
### Domestic Institutions Provide Market Strength
Singh emphasized that the ongoing liquidity is not a transient blip but a sign of enduring strength. Unlike many other markets, India’s capital markets benefit from a strong domestic investor base rather than reliance on foreign funding.
“The fact that there is a domestic source of strength, not foreign money, makes the market more resilient,” he said.
### Caution on Public Market Readiness
While the resilient capital markets encourage more startups to consider going public, Singh advised caution among founders. He warned that not every company is suited to be public, especially smaller or sub-scale firms.
“If a lot of sub-scale companies go public, there could be windows of illiquidity even in public markets subsequently,” he noted. “It’s much worse to be a small public company than a small private company if you are not in a bull cycle.”
Currently, six of Peak XV’s portfolio firms in India have filed for IPOs, with more expected to tap public markets soon, Singh added without divulging further details.
### Peak XV’s Global Ambitions Post-Sequoia Split
After splitting from its Silicon Valley parent Sequoia Capital in 2023 as part of a global restructuring, Peak XV is expanding globally while maintaining strong roots in India and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
“We want to build Peak XV into a world-class global firm anchored in India and APAC,” Singh said.
To support this ambition, Peak XV has set up a team in the US focusing on scouting opportunities in software and artificial intelligence (AI), sectors currently undergoing a “super cycle” worldwide.
### Continued Focus on Consumer, Fintech, Software, and AI
In India, Peak XV remains committed to investing in the consumer, fintech, software, and AI sectors. Although the firm is not chasing quick commerce trends, it sees promising opportunities in emerging areas such as consumer AI.
“Consumer AI could grow significantly in India over the coming years,” Singh observed. “Many startups are emerging in the AI application space, and there has been a big pickup in seed-stage funding for AI firms.”
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/resilient-dalal-street-a-boon-for-private-investors/articleshow/124280505.cms