Bandhan Bank promoter to gradually reduce stake to meet RBI norms

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Bandhan Financial Services plans a gradual reduction of its shareholding in Bandhan Bank to meet Reserve Bank of India regulations, targeting 26% ownership by 2030. The promoter has no plans for a bulk sale and is also proposing a stock split to make shares more attractive ahead of a potential public offering.

Kolkata: Bandhan Financial Services, the promoter of Bandhan Bank, is likely to offload stakes in the bank in small bouts to conform to the regulations of bringing down its shareholding to 26%, instead of a lump sale.As per the bank's licensing agreement with the Reserve Bank of India, the promoter must reduce the stake to 26% by 2030."There is sufficient time. We have no plans for a bulk offloading in one go," chairman Chandra Shekhar Ghosh told ET. The promoter brought down its holdings in the bank to 37.54% as of end June from 38.98% three months prior. The holding was 39.74% at the end of 2025. The recent share sales likely occurred on the open market.Also Read | Profit up 35%, shares down 15%: What went wrong at Bandhan Bank?The main business of Bandhan Financial Services is managing its investments. It has two subsidiaries - Bandhan Financial Holdings and Bandhan Technologies. The first one is the holding company for Bandhan Bank, Bandhan AMC, Bandhan Mutual Fund Trustee, Bandhan Investment Managers (Mauritius) and Bandhan Life Insurance.Bandhan Financial Services owned 59.98% in Bandhan AMC and 97.16% in Bandhan Life Insurance Company as of March 31, 2026.Meanwhile, the promoter has proposed a stock split. As per the plan, each existing equity share of face value ₹10 would be divided into five shares having a face value of ₹2 each. Its shareholders would review this plan at the annual general meeting scheduled on September 22. A stock split would likely help the company at the time of going public, making the share price attractive for retail investors.