A startup CEO took to X (formerly Twitter) to question the purpose of IPO billboards placed along highways and in crowded markets. He tagged them as “roadside absurdity” and urged “traffic police to write to SEBI”. While sharing a picture of Groww’s IPO advertisement, Rajat Sharma wondered whether such billboards are meant to “market the IPO” or if companies actually expect people to read them while driving past.
“For years, I have wondered what the point of these IPO advertisement billboards plastered over highways and crowded markets?” Sharma wrote before adding, “You can’t even read the main heading from the street, let alone the fine print.”
He then said that he raised the concern 15 years back, but still fails to figure out how “it helps anyone”. “If the goal is simply to inform investors that Groww’s IPO is open, then just say that,” he expressed, before suggesting that a “QR code” can replace the “fine print”.
“Add a QR code for statutory disclosures in case someone really wants to read the risks and fine print. A QR code can be scanned from a distance, it is simple, visible and effective,” he further said.
Sharma also pointed out the safety concern, stating that if someone tries to read the billboard at any given speed, they would “probably cause a massive traffic collision”. “Maybe it’s time the traffic police write to SEBI and get this absurdity stopped,” he further said.
He even offered a tongue-in-cheek challenge, promising Rs 1,000 to anyone who could justify the usefulness of such “regulatory disclosures on a busy city road”. “Bonus points if you can explain the halogen lights- clearly meant to help investors read the fine print at night!”
For years, I have wondered what’s the point of these IPO advertisement billboards plastered over highways and crowded markets?
— Rajat Sharma (@SanaSecurities) November 6, 2025
You can’t even read the main heading from the street, let alone the fine print. As a capital markets lawyer, I raised this point over 15 years ago -… pic.twitter.com/IS4fJKjO6R
‘It’s not put up to read,’ say social media users
Social media users were quick enough to flock to the comments section of the post to share their thoughts. In response to the post, one social media user wrote, “There is a whole SEBI regulation for this. We need financial education for sure.”
“The Rule of 7 says a message must be seen at least seven times before it sinks in. These billboards may not be readable, but they do contribute to repeated exposure for the brand+IPO text as a unit. So, even if no one reads the fine print, the brand name, logo, and IPO buzz still register in the viewer’s mind, especially if they have also been exposed to: Online ads, newspapers, social media campaigns, app notifications, TV ads, and influencer mentions,” commented another.
A third said, “True. IPO billboards aren’t about information; they’re about signalling. Visibility often matters more than legibility in the game of market perception.”
“It’s not put up to read, it’s to let people know that they are coming up with an IPO,” read yet another comment.