Reverse Flipping for Startups: A New Shift Towards India

First Published on 12th September, 2023

In today’s globalized era, the world feels more interconnected than ever. Many companies are expanding internationally, setting up offices worldwide, and seeking new markets for their products. Some startups, including some unicorns, have relocated their holding company outside India in a process known as “flipping” to capitalize on global opportunities.

Understanding the Flipping Phenomenon

Flipping, in the Indian startup realm, refers to the practice where startups, originally based in India, restructure their corporate structure to relocate their holding company and intellectual property (IP) to foreign jurisdictions, usually the United States or Singapore despite having a majority of their market, personnel and founders in India.

The primary reasons for startups to externalize their corporate structure inter-alia are access to deeper pools of venture capital, favorable tax framework, market penetration and brand positioning as an international entity, which can be beneficial in terms of attracting global talent and customers.

However, recent times have seen an emergence of an interesting counter-trend: ‘Reverse Flipping’ or ‘De-externalization’.

However, recent times have witnessed an intriguing counter-trend: ‘Reverse Flipping’ or ‘De-externalization’ i.e. Indian startups are opting to reverse flip back into India due to its favorable economic policies, burgeoning domestic market, and growing investor confidence in the country’s startup ecosystem.

The Emergence of Reverse Flipping

Reverse flipping, as the name suggests, is the antithesis of the flipping trend. Here, startups that once relocated their holding companies outside India are now considering a strategic move back to their home ground, India.

As mentioned above, one of the primary reasons for reverse flipping back to India is the fact that the Indian startup ecosystem has matured significantly in recent years. There is now a large pool of untapped domestic retail investors who want to invest in emerging companies they believe have the potential to grow. Additionally, the Indian government is taking steps to make it easier for startups to go public, which could make it more attractive for startups to reverse flip.

Take, for example, PhonePe. Originally an Indian entity, it flipped its structure to Singapore but has now moved its base back to India. In doing so, the founders have gone on record to say that the investors had to pay almost INR 8,000 crore of taxes to the Indian Government. It also stands to lose the chance to offset its accumulated losses of almost INR 7,000 crore against future profits due to this restructuring. Also, all employees had to be migrated to a new India-level ESOP plan which stipulates a minimum 1 year cliff thereby resetting the vesting status to zero with a 1 year cliff.

PhonePe is not alone. Several startups like Razorpay and Groww are also evaluating this shift, acknowledging the promise that the Indian market holds.

How to Reverse Flip?

Structuring a reverse flip is not easy and startups considering this reverse journey have to navigate a maze of regulations. Some popular methods include share swaps, mergers, etc and could also require approval from NCLT.

Startups need to be aware of the potential tax and exchange control implications that come with such a restructuring exercise.

When a startup’s valuation has increased significantly since its initial flip, there can be significant tax consequences upon reverse flipping. The process can be perceived as a ‘transfer of assets’, leading to capital gains tax implications in India and possibly even in foreign jurisdictions. This can also technically lead to a change in beneficial ownership, thereby risking the accumulated losses for setoff against future profits. Startups also need to navigate the exchange control regulations when repatriating funds or assets to India, ensuring all compliances are met.

While the above provides a birds-eye view, it’s imperative for startups to consult experts for a tailor-made approach, aligning with their unique business needs and ensuring compliance with the tax and regulatory framework.

What is the Government saying?

Indian Economic Survey 2022-23 acknowledged the concept of reverse flipping and has listed possible measures that can accelerate the reverse flipping process for startups including simplifying the process for granting tax holidays to start-ups, simplification of taxation of ESOPs, simplifying multiple layers of tax and uncertainty due to tax litigation, simplifying procedures for capital flows, etc.

The International Financial Services Centres Authority i.e. IFSCA has also constituted an expert committee to formulate a roadmap to ‘Onshore the Indian innovation to GIFT IFSC’. IFSCA plans to make GIFT City, India’s first IFSC, the preferred location for startups to reverse flip into. This expert committee submitted its report¹ on 25 August 2023 with recommended measures to be undertaken by various stakeholders such as ministries and regulatory bodies in implementing the idea of onshoring the Indian innovation to GIFT IFSC.

In Conclusion

The trend of reverse flipping underscores the belief in India’s potential as a global startup hub. While challenges exist, the long-term benefits of tapping into the domestic market, coupled with the strengthening startup ecosystem, are compelling many to look homeward. It will be intriguing to witness how this trend evolves and shapes the future.

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