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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is meeting technology start-ups this week, in a bid to understand their many concerns about listing on domestic exchanges. With rules that appear designed to make things as difficult as possible for such firms to execute IPOs, market watchers say the regulator’s move is a big step forward in boosting the country’s equity capital markets, writes Rashmi Kumar.

Diesel engine component maker Asimco is said to have revised terms for its $120m refinancing loan, providing banks with more security and changing the loan purpose to allow lenders to get through their credit process more easily.

South Korea’s Cowell e Holdings has raised HK$884m ($114m) by pricing its IPO just above the bottom of the price range, as concerns about a possible overhang following the listing and the company’s excessive dependence on Apple caused some price sensitivity.

The Vietnam government is aiming to sell a record amount of shares in state-owned enterprises (SOE) this year, in a bid to hasten a reform process that has dragged on since the 1990s. But sceptics doubt it will meet its targets, as its equity capital market remains bogged down by quirky IPO procedures, valuation issues and unwilling participants, writes John Loh.

Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim) priced a landmark transaction this week, raising $500m from the country’s first dollar-denominated green bond. With strong government support and more companies looking to issue, the green initiative is expected to blossom in India, writes Rev Hui.

China Construction Bank (CCB) and Commerzbank have launched the first Ucits-compliant ETF fund under China’s RQFII scheme. The fund, which was announced on March 25, will invest in China’s money market.

TPG-backed AGS targets $217m – IndiGo to soar for $500m IPO

JSW Steel’s $250m loan has wrapped up with several international lenders joining during general syndication. The borrowing, which had Axis Bank as sole lead, helped both the company and the Indian lender establish new coverage and relationships.

GF Securities is making a big splash in the equity capital market, opening books for its Hong Kong IPO of up to HK$27.9bn ($3.6bn) on March 23 and offering a very generous discount to where its A-shares are trading.

Hyundai Capital Services has returned to the offshore debt market, pricing a 5.5 year dollar bond on March 23. The rarity of high quality Korean corporate credits, the name value of Hyundai, as well as a recent rating upgrade, attracted strong demand, allowing the Korean issuer to achieve its size and pricing aims.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is getting ready to set up the country’s first International Financial Services Centre, after approving guidelines that will govern the establishment of stock exchanges in those centres.

Astra Sedaya Finance made its debut in the dollar bond market this week, selling a $300m three year bond on Wednesday. Investors were attracted by the rarity of high grade corporate credit from Indonesia, allowing the issuer to increase the size from $250m.