Meesho partners with BSE to drive IPO readiness for MSMEs, digital sellers

In a move to support the next generation of publicly listed businesses, e-commerce marketplace Meesho has joined hands with the BSE to launch ‘Project Shikhar’, an initiative focused on enabling MSMEs and digital-first enterprises to access capital markets.

The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and is designed to help high-performing independent sellers on Meesho's platform prepare for listing on the BSE SME platform. Through the initiative, eligible businesses will receive guidance and support in navigating the public listing process, helping them unlock growth capital and accelerate expansion.

Project Shikhar seeks to bridge the gap between promising digital entrepreneurs and capital market opportunities, creating a pathway for scalable e-commerce businesses to evolve into publicly traded companies.

BSE Managing Director and CEO Sundararaman Ramamurthy said the exchange pioneered the SME platform to give dynamic, job-creating businesses a direct route to capital markets.

"Over the years, the BSE SME platform has enabled hundreds of MSMEs to list, raise growth capital and strengthen governance standards. This partnership with Meesho extends that ecosystem to digital-first entrepreneurs, helping e-commerce sellers become public companies," Ramamurthy said.

Highlighting the funding challenges faced by many small businesses, Meesho said a large portion of India’s retail ecosystem continues to operate within the informal and unorganised sectors, limiting access to conventional growth capital. Through Project Shikhar, the company aims to address this gap by providing a structured pathway that helps businesses progress towards becoming publicly listed entities.

Over the next 12 months, the initiative will identify and onboard qualifying sellers, offering support across key stages such as business restructuring, compliance management and regulatory preparedness necessary for listing on the BSE SME platform.

Commenting on the initiative, Lopamudra Rao, Head of Corporate Affairs at Meesho, said a sizeable section of the company’s seller base consists of entrepreneurs who have achieved rapid business growth. However, she noted that the journey from a successful enterprise to an investor-ready company can be challenging, underscoring the need for a guided framework such as Project Shikhar.

"Project Shikhar removes that friction. Through this partnership with BSE, we are not just helping sellers raise public capital; we are building a pipeline of compliant, transparent businesses that will fuel India's formal economy," Rao Added.