LENSKART IPO FALLS FLAT! Eyewear Giant's Stock Debut Disappoints – Is This a Market Warning Sign?

Lenskart Solutions, the eyewear retailer led by Peyush Bansal, experienced a disappointing market debut on Monday. The company's shares listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) at ₹395, a 1.75% discount to its issue price of ₹402. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), it opened at ₹390, a 2.99% discount.

Following the listing, Lenskart's stock price dropped further, hitting a low of ₹355.70 on the BSE, an 11.5% decline from the issue price. However, the stock later recovered, trading up 1.04% at ₹406.20 by the time of reporting, valuing the company at ₹70,366 crore.

This weak listing continues a trend observed recently. It is the third consecutive IPO, after Studds Accessories and Orkla India, to list at a discount. In 2025, Lenskart is the only major IPO with an issue size exceeding ₹4,000 crore to have such a negative market debut. Out of 91 mainboard IPOs this year, 47 have listed with gains, while 36 debuted in the red.

Despite concerns about its valuation, Lenskart's ₹7,278-crore IPO was heavily oversubscribed, attracting bids worth ₹1.13 lakh crore. The Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) segment was particularly strong, booked 40.36 times.

Impact This news directly impacts investor sentiment towards upcoming IPOs and the primary market in India. The performance of a large IPO like Lenskart can influence the overall market perception of new listings and the valuation strategies of companies planning to go public. The trend of discounted listings might make investors more cautious and lead to revised pricing strategies by issuers. The market sentiment is a rating of 7/10.

Terms: Initial Public Offering (IPO): The process by which a private company can sell its shares to the public for the first time. Issue Price: The price at which shares are offered to investors during an IPO. Discount: When a stock lists on an exchange at a price lower than its IPO issue price. NSE (National Stock Exchange): One of the leading stock exchanges in India. BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange): Asia's oldest stock exchange and India's leading exchange by market capitalization. QIBs (Qualified Institutional Buyers): Large institutional investors like mutual funds, foreign institutional investors, and insurance companies that are eligible to invest in IPOs.