Who is a Merchant Banker and How to Get Merchant Banker License?

In India, a Merchant Banker is a person or an individual who is involved in the business of issue management either by making arrangements regarding selling, buying or subscribing to securities or acting as a consultant, manager or providing corporate tax advisory services regarding such issue management. Also, Merchant Bankers helps entrepreneurs right from the initial idea to the moment of commencement of production. They oversee the process of issuance. Merchant Bankers serve as intermediaries between investors & companies. They are responsible for preparing the prospectus & marketing the issue. In the financial industry of India, Merchant Bankers plays an important role and they serve as trusted consultants & facilitators for important tasks like public offerings, M&A deals & strategic reorganization. If you are a financial expert looking for an ambitious career with great opportunities for advancement, getting Merchant Banker License in India may be the key to achieving success.

The following are the various services provided by Merchant Bankers in India:

• Project Counselling;
• Issue Management;
• Offshore Finance;
• Equity offerings & Debt Management;
• Syndication of loans;
• Portfolio Management;
• Pre-investment studies;
• Sponsoring Leases;
• Underwriting of public issues;
• Sponsoring Leases;
• Restructuring Strategies;
• Non-resident Investment & so on.

Different Categories of Merchant Banker in India

Category 1:

• Activities: Merchant Bankers can act as an issue managers, consultants, advisors, portfolio administrators & underwriters. They perform the tasks of issue management and creating the prospectus, making decisions about financial structure, tie-up of financiers & final allocation.
• Minimum Net Worth Requirement: Capital net worth of Rs. 5 crores.

Category 2:

• Activities: These types of bankers are able to serve as consultant/advisors, an underwriter or co-manager. They can also be a portfolio manager.
• Minimum Net Worth Requirement: Capital net worth of Rs. 50 lakhs.

Category 3:

• Activities: These bankers may serve as the advisor or underwriters & consultant. They cannot take on issues management on their own, nor can they serve as co-managers. They aren’t able to perform the tasks that are involved in portfolio management.
• Minimum Net Worth Requirement: Capital net worth of Rs. 20 lakhs.

Category 4:

• Activities: Merchant Bankers can merely act only as advisors/consultants to the issue.
• Minimum Net Worth Requirement: Nil Capital.

Regulatory Authority for Merchant Bank Establishment

SEBI or Securities & Exchange Board of India is the regulatory body responsible for commercial banking in India. SEBI is the law governing the operations of the commercial bank in India. To set up a Merchant Bank in India, the concerned individual or person must approach the SEBI. The other authority regulates the other is the RBI. Moreover, the 2015 Foreign Exchange Administration Rules apply to financial institutions covered by commercial banks. Banking institutions conducting commercial banking transactions must comply with the criteria specified in the Prudential Exposure Guidelines of RBI as well as the legal restrictions imposed.

What are the Functions of Merchant Banking in India?

The following are the functions of Merchant Banking in India are governed by SEBI Regulations, 1972:

• The Merchant banks help in the promotion of the business institute in its starting stage. It helps the organisation to work on their business idea & to get the approval from the government;
• They also provide investment advice to the investors to make the investment decisions. The merchant bank provides portfolio managing support to the investors by trading securities on their behalf;
• Leasing Services Merchant Banks provide leasing services to their customers;
• Loan Syndication, this service provided by Merchant Banks to its clients for raising credit from banks & financial institutions;
• Raising funds for Clients Merchant Banks help clients in raising funds from the domestic & international market by buying securities.

Examples of Merchant Banking

In India, Merchant Banking is an extensive field that provides a range of financial services including Merger & Acquisition (M&A), private equity, venture capital, structured finance, corporate finance, advisory services, real estate finance, underwriting, international trade finance & wealth management.

The following are some examples of Merchant Banking in India:

• Private Equity: Merchant Banks may invest in private companies via private equity funds. This involves buying a stake in the company & working with management to improve operations with the goal of eventually selling the stake at a profit.
• Wealth Management: Some Merchant Banks offer Wealth Management services to high-net worth individuals & families. This may include investment management, estate planning, tax planning & other services.
• Underwriting: Merchant Banks may provide underwriting services for IPOs & other securities issuances. This involves taking on the risk of buying securities from the issuer & then selling them to investors at a profit.
• Venture Capital: Similar to private equity, Merchant banks may also invest in initial stage startups via Venture Capital Funds. This involves taking on more risk in exchange for potentially higher returns.
• Corporate Finance: Such banks may provide an extensive range of corporate finance services, like debt & equity financing, restructuring & risk management.
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Merchant banks may also act as intermediaries in Mergers & Acquisitions transactions, advising both sellers & buyers on deal structure, valuation & other aspects of the transaction.