Published June 5, 2022 | Version v1
Journal article Open

The Strategic Journey of the Biggest IPO in Bangladesh: The Case of Robi Axiata Limited

Creators

  • 1. Department of Business Administration, Bangladesh Army International University of Science and Technology, Cumilla, Bangladesh
  • 2. Department of Accounting and Information Systems, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Description

Robi Axiata Limited (Robi)—a multinational cellphone operator—got the nod for the ever-biggest initial public offering (IPO) from Bangladesh's regulatory body on 14 October 2020. The IPO process ended on 24 December 2020 through its debut on the country's two stock exchanges. Based on both primary and secondary data, this study intends to depict the 23 years strategic journey of Robi till its IPO. Robi's IPO was oversubscribed by 5.75 times compared to its counterpart telecom giant Grameenphone by 3.5 times. Beyond the most common motive of settling the loan, network expansion was the only motive for Robi's IPO. The IPO enabled the company to reduce its corporate tax and create a positive brand image among stakeholders. Before the IPO, rebranding from AKTEL into Robi and its merger with Airtel were two major turning points. The merger contributed significantly to the company's market share and overall performance, which ultimately led the company to raise the largest-ever amount from the capital market through IPO. 

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