Quick-commerce startup Zepto has taken a major stride toward going public. The company has filed draft IPO papers with India’s market regulator SEBI through the confidential pre-filing route to raise up to ₹11,000 crore (about $1.3 billion), signalling its intent to list on Indian stock exchanges in 2026. If successful, this will be one of the most awaited IPOs in the new-age technology space, coming amid a broader boom in listings that includes giants like Jio and NSE. Despite rapid revenue growth, the company still battles widening losses a factor that investors will scrutinise closely.

 

Author : Aashiya Jain | EQmint | Market News

 

Zepto’s IPO Plans What’s Happening

 

Zepto a quick-commerce platform delivering groceries and essentials in minutes has pre-filed its draft red herring prospectus with SEBI through the confidential route aiming to raise about ₹11,000 crore. This confidential approach lets the company work closely with regulators before going public a strategy that’s becoming popular among startups and IPO hopefuls.

 

The IPO will be a mix of fresh equity issuance and an offer for sale by early investors Zepto’s being advised by a strong banking consortium including Morgan Stanley Axis Capital HSBC Goldman Sachs JM Financial IIFL Securities and Motilal Oswal as lead managers.

 

The company’s targeting a stock exchange listing in the July-September quarter of 2026. The Story So Far Rapid Growth and Rising Losses Founded in 2021 by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra who were really into split-second delivery Zepto quickly became one of India’s most talked-about startups.

 

They capitalized on the urban demand for minutes-delivery of groceries and essentials building a network of fast-fulfilment dark stores across multiple cities In the most recent audited financial year FY25 Zepto’s reported revenue jumped to ₹9,668.8 crore about 129% year-on-year showing strong top-line momentum.

 

But the bottom line tells a different story: they recorded a net loss of ₹3,367 crore nearly three times wider than the previous year.

 

This reflects heavy investment in expansion discounts and market share battles This pattern dramatic revenue growth alongside increasing losses isn’t unusual in quick-commerce Competitors like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart have also posted significant losses while scaling operations Public market investors will likely weigh growth prospects against the challenge of turning profitable.

 

Why Zepto’s IPO Matters

Strategic timing

The filing comes when India’s anticipating one of the biggest IPO waves in years. Alongside Zepto other megadeals including listings by Jio Platforms and the National Stock Exchange are expected to push total capital raised to over ₹4 lakh crore in 2026 Market validation For Zepto’s investors and employees the IPO provides a formal exit route and a way to monetize years of private market backing. The confidential pre-filing lets Zepto calibrate its IPO size pricing and timing based on SEBI feedback and market conditions before announcing final details.

 

Competitive positioning

Zepto remains in the thick of the fierce quick commerce battle with rivals like Zomato-owned Blinkit which controls a large chunk of this segment and Swiggy’s Instamart. A successful IPO could fuel Zepto’s next phase of expansion including increased dark store density technology upgrades and broader product offerings.

 

What to Expect Next

 

If the IPO proceeds as planned:

 

Timeline Public launch likely in mid-2026 with groundwork and pricing discussions through the first half of the year Use of funds Capital raised will likely support network expansion dark stores technology logistics and strengthen balance sheets amid competition Investor focus. Analysts believe market participants will closely watch profitability metrics and future unit economics not just revenue numbers given the widening losses seen in recent years.

 

A New Chapter for Quick Commerce

Zepto’s IPO filing is a milestone not just for the company but for India’s broader digital economy. It signals confidence among founders and investors that public markets are ready to reward scale innovation and category leadership even in businesses where profitability is still a work in progress If executed well this IPO could be one of the defining technology listings of 2026 and a benchmark for other young Indian startups aiming to go public.

 

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Resource Link: TOI