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Research24 Dec 2025

SEBI Nods to ESDS, Shareholders Back OYO — Profitable Scale Is Driving India’s Next IPO Wave

SEBI Nods to ESDS, Shareholders Back OYO — Profitable Scale Is Driving India’s Next IPO Wave

India’s IPO market isn’t reopening because sentiment improved. It’s reopening because profits returned.

Two very different companies — ESDS Software Solutions and OYO (via parent Prism) — just crossed critical IPO checkpoints:

  • SEBI approval for ESDS’s ₹720 Cr IPO

  • Shareholder approval for Prism to raise ₹6,650 Cr via OYO’s IPO

Different sectors. Different histories. One common thread: both are approaching the market with profitability, not promises.

Let’s break down why this matters — UnlistedZone style.

A) ESDS Software Solutions: SEBI’s Nod to a Profitable Indian Cloud Challenger

ESDS Software Solutions has done something rare in India’s cloud infrastructure space — built profitable scale with proprietary technology.

SEBI’s clearance for its IPO, along with a size increase from ₹600 Cr to ₹720 Cr, signals strong visibility on both demand and execution.

IPO snapshot
  • Original size: ₹600 Cr

  • Revised size: ₹720 Cr

  • Upsize: ₹120 Cr (20%)

  • Instrument: Equity shares (FV ₹1)

Companies don’t upsize IPOs post-SEBI review unless institutional appetite and earnings confidence are high. This is expansion capital, not balance-sheet repair.

Who is ESDS?

Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Nashik, ESDS is a cloud computing and data centre services company operating across 19 countries.

Its clients span BFSI, healthcare, government, manufacturing, and e-commerce — sectors where uptime and compliance matter more than raw scale.

Founder Piyush Somani positioned ESDS as a homegrown alternative to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Sify, and Netmagic — but with a sharply defined niche.

The moat: eNlight Cloud

ESDS’s core differentiator is eNlight Cloud — India’s first patented cloud platform, with patents granted in the US and UK.

What makes it different:

  • Real-time auto-scaling of CPU and RAM

  • Zero downtime during scaling

  • Converts customer CAPEX into OPEX

For regulated industries like banks and hospitals, this isn’t a feature — it’s a requirement.

ESDS Financials: Operating Leverage in Action

What stands out:

  • Revenue CAGR with margin expansion

  • EBITDA margins nearing 43% — rare for infra-led tech

  • Clear shift from losses to sustained profitability

The global pivot investors are watching

ESDS’s valuation story changed materially in FY25.

  • International revenue jumped from ₹15 Cr to ₹87 Cr

  • Contribution rose from 3.6% to 24.1% of total revenue

This followed a ₹38.6 Cr investment in its overseas subsidiary (ESDS Cloud FZ LLC), reducing India-only risk and improving global scalability optics.

B) OYO: Shareholders Signal the IPO Engine Is Back On

While ESDS represents a first-time listing, OYO’s IPO comeback is about credibility regained.

Prism, OYO’s parent, has secured shareholder approval to raise ₹6,650 Cr via IPO, along with a 1:19 bonus issue — a classic pre-listing capital structure clean-up.

This approval allows Prism to move ahead with regulatory filings and timeline finalisation.

In short: the IPO machinery is officially warming up again.

Has OYO fixed its business?

For years, OYO’s public market ambitions were derailed by losses and volatility.

FY25 changed that.

OYO Financials (₹ Cr)

Particulars

9M ended Dec 31, 2025

FY2025

FY2024

FY2023

Revenue from operations6,940.976,252.835,388.795,463.95
Total income7,166.336,325.895,541.595,601.70
Profit/(loss) for the period/year748.34244.82229.58(1,286.52)
Total assets18,944.2516,695.326,443.477,932.43
Total equity5,122.243,786.62900.73582.57

What this tells us:

  • Sharp EBITDA turnaround

  • PAT swung from deep losses to profitability

  • Operating leverage is now visible at scale

This isn’t cosmetic profitability. It’s structural.

Why profitability changes everything

Public markets no longer reward growth without discipline.

Today’s IPO filters are simple:

  • Predictable cash flows

  • Scalable unit economics

  • Capital efficiency

Both ESDS and OYO now tick these boxes — albeit in very different ways.

The UnlistedZone Take

This isn’t an IPO revival driven by easy liquidity.

It’s a quality reset.

  • ESDS is entering markets with patented tech, expanding margins, and global optionality.

  • OYO is returning with profits, scale, and a repaired balance sheet.

Different journeys. Same signal.

India’s next IPO wave belongs to companies that already make money — and want capital to scale it further.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice, nor an offer to buy or sell any security. Unlisted share prices are indicative. Please do your own research or consult a SEBI-registered advisor before investing.
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