The HNI (High Net-worth Individual) category in IPOs is for investors who apply for shares with an application amount above ₹2 lakh. In India, HNI applications fall under the Non-Institutional Investor (NII) category.
The HNI category is divided into two segments, and allotment is calculated separately for each:
Since these segments are treated independently, allotment results can differ between sNII and bNII within the same IPO.
A minimum lot is the smallest number of shares you must apply for in an IPO.
Allotment can be lottery-based, pro-rata, or full, depending on demand.
Allotment becomes lottery-based when the number of applicants is higher than the available minimum lots in that segment.
In this case:
This is common in the sNII segment and can also occur in bNII for highly popular IPOs.
Lottery is conducted, and only 10,000 applicants receive one lot each.
HNI allotment is pro-rata when there are enough shares to ensure every applicant gets at least one minimum lot.
In such cases:
If the HNI category is not oversubscribed:
This is applied separately for both sNII and bNII segments.
Being an HNI does not guarantee allotment. If applicants exceed the available minimum lots, allotment is done through a lottery.