New Delhi, June 6 -- India's public listing party has lost its allure for retail investors this year amid heightened global tensions, steep valuations, and weak listing performance. Since February, their participation has cooled in both mainboard and small business maiden offerings, raising concerns about whether upcoming issues can revive enthusiasm.

So far this year, only 14 mainboard initial public offerings (IPOs) have hit the market-barely half of the 29 seen during the same period last year. On the small and medium enterprise (SME) platform, 72 companies have so far tapped the capital markets, down from 92 a year earlier.

The decline reflects growing caution among companies as investors lose their appetite for fresh issues.

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