Dharmaj Crop Guard IPO set to open on November 28; GMP at ₹30 per share

• Dharmaj Crop Guard’s IPO is a combination of ₹216 crore in fresh issue of shares along with an offer for sale worth ₹35 crore by promoters and existing shareholders.
  
• The price band of the IPO is set at ₹216-237 per share.
  
• The net proceeds from the fresh issue is proposed to be used towards setting up a manufacturing facility in Gujarat, meeting working capital requirements and repaying debt.
  
• The shares of the company are currently commanding a grey market premium, or GMP, of ₹30 per share.
  

Dharmaj Crop Guard, an agrochemical company based out of Ahmedabad, will offer its shares for public subscription starting from November 28. The company’s initial public offering (IPO) seeks to mop up ₹251 crore in total via a combination of fresh issue of shares and an offer for sale from existing shareholders.

The Dharmaj Crop Guard IPO price band is set between ₹216- ₹237 a share. The offer will close on November 30.

The shares of the company are currently commanding a grey market premium, or GMP, of ₹30 per share. GMP is the premium at which IPO shares are traded in an unofficial market before they are listed on the stock exchanges.

Dharmaj Crop Guard plans to raise ₹216 crore through a fresh issue of shares through the IPO along with an offer for sale of ₹35 crore by promoters and existing shareholders.

The net proceeds from the fresh issue is proposed to be used towards setting up a manufacturing facility in Gujarat, fulfilling working capital requirements and for repaying some debts.

Dharmaj Crop Guard is engaged in the business of manufacturing, distributing, and marketing a wide range of agro chemical formulations such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulator, micro fertilisers and antibiotics to the B2B and B2C segments.

It sells crop protection solutions to farmers to aid them in preventing crops from being damaged by insects. Also, the company exports its products to over 20 countries in Latin America, East Africa, Middle East and Far East Asia.

Since the company’s revenues are dependent on farmers buying pesticides, any changes in farmers income, commodity prices, reduction in government subsidies and incentives can adversely impact its business.

“Any changes in the government policies relating to the agriculture sector such as the reduction of government expenditure towards agriculture, the withdrawal of or changes in incentives and subsidies provided to farmers, export restrictions on crops, adverse changes in commodity prices or minimum support prices could affect the ability of farmers to spend on crop protection products, which in turn could adversely affect our business and results of operations,” said the company in its draft red herring prospectus.

Also, an additional risk involved increasing resistance from certain civil society organisations to crop protection chemical products, including the company’s.

“Some crop protection chemical products, which may include some of our products, are facing increased resistance from certain activist groups because of concerns over their alleged effects on food safety and the environment. These groups attempt to influence and, in some cases, litigate against governmental regulatory bodies to restrict the use of crop protection chemical products in their jurisdictions,” said the company.

The net profit of the company has doubled to ₹20.96 crore in FY21 from ₹10.76 crore in FY20.


Dharmaj Crop Guard competes with the likes of Rallis India and India Pesticides among others.


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