Expect 10-20% drop in broking business; IPO is tough for a company like us: Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath on June 4 said that the company expects to see a 10 to 20 percent decline in its broking business, as part of its near-term business outlook. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Kamath cited the slowdown in market activity in the ongoing Q1 FY26 as the reason for the expected drop.

Despite the slowdown in the market and its expected impact, Zerodha is aiming to generate Rs 10,000 crore in revenue by the end of FY26 without altering its brokerage rates, Kamath added.

When asked if the startup currently has any plans for launching its initial public offering (IPO), Kamath said that the firm has enough cash to do whatever they want to do, and there is no need for an IPO. "We continue to believe there's no reason to IPO. Being listed on exchanges is tough for a company like us," he said during an interaction with CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan.

Kamath added that the firm intends to stay private as its business model and operational style do not match with the demands of public markets.

The Zerodha CEO reaffirmed the firm's ambitious goal of transitioning into a full-fledged financial services conglomerate in the next decade. This would also see the firm entering the banking segment after acquiring a banking license.

Kamath will soon represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Monte Carlo. He was named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 in March this year for his role in reshaping India’s brokerage industry through a low-margin, high-volume strategy. He has not only bootstrapped Zerodha into a billion-dollar company but has also actively supported fintech and climate-focused startups.

The past Indian winners of the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title include Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.