New Delhi, April 2 -- The once-booming initial public offerings (IPO) market, fueled by frenzied retail participation, has hit a speed bump. The recent sell-off in Indian equities has forced companies to defer listings, with March seeing no mainboard public listing, the first monthly lull since May 2023.

Despite five consecutive months of decline, particularly the nearly 6% Nifty drop in February due to global trade tensions, rising bond yields, and persistent foreign portfolio investor (FPI) outflows, a market rebound in March offers a potential silver lining. The Nifty rose 6.3% as FPIs resumed buying in the latter half of the month, though they remained net sellers overall. This recovery, coupled with the resurgence of qualified insti...