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Hyundai IPO biggest ever in India, Asia's biggest in 2024

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Company wants to expand in India; first listing outside

S.Korea

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Hyundai aims to make India a manufacturing hub for

emerging mkts

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Executive says 30% increase in production seen in 3-4

years

(Adds details, comments in paragraph 7, 11, 16-17)

By Dhwani Pandya

MUMBAI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor ( HYMTF )

plans to use proceeds from a record $3.3 billion IPO of its

Indian unit to enhance its research efforts and develop new

cars, aspiring to transform the South Asian country into a

manufacturing hub for emerging markets.

Hyundai is due to launch its initial public offering -

India's biggest ever - next week. It will set a value of up to

$19 billion for its business in India, the world's third-biggest

car market, where Hyundai competes with market leader Maruti

Suzuki and rivals such as Tata Motors.

Unsoo Kim, managing director of Hyundai's Indian unit, said

the the IPO proceeds will be used to "invest aggressively in new

products, future technology and research and development

capabilities of the India unit".

Hyundai's South Korean parent will offload a stake of up to

17.5% in the Indian unit, gaining its first stock market listing

outside its home country and becoming the first automaker to go

public in India since Maruti Suzuki in 2003.

"India is one of the most exciting auto markets in the world

... (The) IPO will ensure that Hyundai Motor India is even more

dedicated to succeed in India," Kim told a press briefing in

Mumbai on Wednesday.

The IPO, the world's second-biggest in 2024, comes just as

Indian stock markets scaled record highs but when the country's

car sales growth has been slowing.

While sales of newly launched SUVs are steady, those of

hatchbacks and small cars - which make up roughly 30% of annual

car sales - are slowing as inflationary pressures in recent

months have squeezed mid-income buyers.

Hyundai is India's second-largest carmaker by sales, with

about 15% share of the country's passenger vehicle market and

trails only Maruti Suzuki but a rapidly changing competitive

landscape has seen domestic rivals Tata and Mahindra & Mahindra

eat into the South Korean company's market share with

new SUVs that are gaining popularity.

HUB FOR EMERGING MARKETS

With a contribution of 15% to sales, India is the

third-biggest revenue generator for Hyundai after the U.S. and

South Korea. It has invested $5 billion in the country and plans

to pump in another $4 billion over the next decade.

Hyundai entered India 28 years ago with its tall-boy

design small car called Santro which made it a household name.

The carmaker soon plans to launch new electric vehicles,

establish charging stations and introduce hybrid cars in India

starting in 2027.

The IPO, to be priced in the range of 1,865 to 1960 rupees,

opens on Monday for big institutional investors, and on Oct.

15-17 for retail and other categories. The stock is set to start

trading in Mumbai on Oct. 22.

At the upper end of that price range, the share sale values

Hyundai India at around $19 billion, making up about

40% the parent's $45 billion valuation on Seoul's KOSPI index

. By comparison, Maruti Suzuki's market capitalization in

India is $48 billion.

Hyundai currently has one manufacturing unit in the country

for local sales and exports, with a second plant expected to

begin production in 2025 and which will take its total

production capacity in India to beyond 1 million units a year.

The Hyundai India IPO is being executed via an

offer-for-sale route where no new funds are raised and only the

parent entity will sell its stake.

Tarun Garg, Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai India,

told Reuters in an interview the Indian unit's profits are

currently enough to take care of capital expenditure needs.

"We intend to become a global manufacturing hub for

Hyundai for the emerging markets ... In next 3-4 years, 30%

increase in production will improve our domestic and export

volumes," he said at the press briefing.