G

Groww

Mainboard₹6,632 Cr issue
+12.00%
Listing gain over issue price
Issue size
₹6,632 Cr
1 lot at cut-off
₹15,000
Lot size
150shares
Allotment
10 Nov 2025
Listing
12 Nov 2025

Listing performance

Issue price
₹100
Listed at
₹112
Listing-day close
₹131.33
Latest price
₹206.08
Listing gain
+12.00%
Return since listing
+106.08%

Scheduled dates

Tentative timetable — a past date is not confirmation the step completed

  1. Allotment
    10 Nov 2025
  2. Refund
    11 Nov 2025
  3. Demat credit
    11 Nov 2025
  4. Listing
    12 Nov 2025

Grey market premium

Unofficial and indicative — not a forecast

₹5

3 observations recorded — too few to plot a trend.

Day-wise premium · 3 observations
DateGMP%SaudaEst. listingGain / lot
12 Nov 2025₹5+5.00%₹600₹105₹750
11 Nov 2025₹5+5.00%₹600₹105₹750
10 Nov 2025₹4.75+4.75%₹500₹104.75₹712.50

Gain per lot assumes the premium holds to listing and that the application is allotted — allotment in an oversubscribed issue is a lottery, so it is indicative, not expected. Sauda is the rate paid for a submitted application itself.

Issue details

Listing date
12 Nov 2025
Face value
₹2 per share
Issue price
₹100 per share
Lot size
150 shares
Total issue size
₹6,632 Cr
Market cap at offer price
₹61,736 Cr
Promoter holding
28.29% → 27.53% pre-issue → post-issue
ISIN
INE0HOQ01053
Registrar
MUFG Intime India Pvt.Ltd.
Lead managers
Kotak Mahindra Capital Co.Ltd.
Registered office
Vaishnavi Tech Park, South Tower, 3rd Floor, Sarjapur Main Road, Bellandur, Karnataka

Reservation and application size

How the issue is split between investor categories, and what each may bid

Investor categoryShares% of net% of total
Anchor investor · within QIB29,84,53,523——
Market maker 0——

Application size

Minimum 150 shares per lot, in multiples, at ₹100

ApplicationLotsSharesAmount
Retail (min)1150₹15,000
Retail (max)131,950₹1,95,000
S-HNI (min)142,100₹2,10,000
S-HNI (max)669,900₹9,90,000
B-HNI (min)6710,050₹10,05,000

Category limits

CategoryBid sizeCut-off
Retail (RII)Up to ₹2 lakhYes
Small HNI (sNII)₹2 lakh – ₹10 lakhNo
Big HNI (bNII)Above ₹10 lakhNo
EmployeeUp to ₹5 lakhYes

Bidding at cut-off means accepting the final issue price without naming one. Only retail and employee applicants may do so.

Anchor investors

Institutional allocation placed a day before the issue opens, carved out of the QIB portion and locked in after listing.

Shares allocated
29,84,53,523
Anchor portion
₹2,985 Cr
at ₹100 per share

Valuation and performance

Valuation at offer price

₹100 per share

MetricPre-issuePost-issue
EPS (₹)3.012.45
P/E (×)33.2240.82
Price to book (×)11.76—
Market cap—₹61,736 Cr

Key performance indicators

Latest reported period

Return on net worth
37.57%
PAT margin
44.92%
EBITDA margin
59.11%
NAV per share
₹8.50
Price to book
11.76

Single period as reported. Year-on-year movement is in the financials table below, where every period is published.

About Groww

Billionbrains Garage Ventures Limited, operating as Groww, is an India-based direct-to-customer digital investment platform incorporated on January 9, 2018. The company provides multiple financial products and services including stocks (including IPOs), derivatives, bonds, mutual funds, margin trading facility, and personal loans through a customer-friendly mobile app and website. The company was India's largest and fastest growing investment platform by active users on NSE as of June 30, 2025. Revenue is generated primarily from broking services (stocks and derivatives), margin trading facility, consumer credit, asset management company services, and other incidental revenues. The company operates through Material Subsidiaries including Groww Invest Tech Private Limited (which generated 93.04% of consolidated revenue in Q1 FY2026) and Groww Creditserv Technology Private Limited (5.83% of consolidated revenue in Q1 FY2026).

Company Analysis

from RHP

Groww is a direct-to-customer digital investment platform providing stocks, derivatives, mutual funds, bonds, and loans, operating as India's largest investment platform by active users on NSE.

Billionbrains Garage Ventures Limited, operating as Groww, is an India-based direct-to-customer digital investment platform incorporated on January 9, 2018. The company provides multiple financial products and services including stocks (including IPOs), derivatives, bonds, mutual funds, margin trading facility, and personal loans through a customer-friendly mobile app and website. The company was India's largest and fastest growing investment platform by active users on NSE as of June 30, 2025. Revenue is generated primarily from broking services (stocks and derivatives), margin trading facility, consumer credit, asset management company services, and other incidental revenues. The company operates through Material Subsidiaries including Groww Invest Tech Private Limited (which generated 93.04% of consolidated revenue in Q1 FY2026) and Groww Creditserv Technology Private Limited (5.83% of consolidated revenue in Q1 FY2026).

Investment and wealth managementDigital brokingConsumer credit/NBFCAsset management

Objects of the Issue

  • Expenditure towards cloud infrastructure
    ₹1,525.00 million p.29
  • Brand building and performance marketing activities
    ₹2,250.00 million p.29
  • Investment in Groww Creditserv Technology Private Limited (GCS), an NBFC, for augmenting its capital base
    ₹2,050.00 million p.29
  • Investment in Groww Invest Tech Private Limited (GIT), for funding the MTF business
    ₹1,675.00 million p.29
  • Funding inorganic growth through unidentified acquisitions and general corporate purposes
    p.29
  • Expenditure towards cloud infrastructure
    p.66
  • Brand building and performance marketing activities
    p.51
  • Investment in one of our Material Subsidiaries, Groww Creditserv Technology Private Limited (an NBFC), for augmenting its capital base
    ₹2,050.00 million p.49
  • Investment in one of our Material Subsidiaries, GIT, for funding the MTF business
    p.66
  • Funding inorganic growth through unidentified acquisitions and general corporate purposes
    p.67
  • Expenditure towards cloud infrastructure
    ₹1,525.00 million p.151
  • Brand building and performance marketing activities
    ₹2,250.00 million p.151
  • Investment in Groww Creditserv Technology Private Limited (GCS), an NBFC, for augmenting its capital base
    ₹2,050.00 million p.151
  • Investment in Groww Invest Tech Private Limited (GIT), for funding its margin trading facility (MTF) business
    ₹1,675.00 million p.151
  • Funding inorganic growth through unidentified acquisitions and general corporate purposes
    p.151
  • Not specified in this excerpt
  • Not determinable from this part of the document
    p.405
  • Fresh Issue
    ₹10,600.00 million p.461

Issue Structure

Total Issue
[●] Equity Shares of face value of ₹2 each, aggregating to ₹[●] million
Fresh Issue
[●] Equity Shares of face value of ₹2 each, aggregating up to ₹10,600.00 million
Offer for Sale
Up to 557,230,051 Equity Shares of face value of ₹2 each, aggregating to ₹[●] million
Price Band
[●] per Equity Share (Floor Price ₹[●] to Cap Price ₹[●])
Lot Size
[●] Equity Shares (to be decided by the Company in consultation with BRLMs)
Face Value
₹2 each

Business Model

Groww earns revenue through: (1) Broking Services from stocks and derivatives transactions - 79.49% of revenue in Q1 FY2026 (₹7,188.90 million); (2) Margin Trading Facility; (3) Consumer Credit products; (4) Asset Management Company services; (5) Other incidental revenue including interest income on fixed deposits with banks earmarked with stock exchanges. The platform operates as a technology-driven direct-to-customer model, deploying an in-house technology platform to enhance the investing experience and reduce reliance on offline networks including relationship managers, affiliates and brokers.

Business Segments

Provides trading and investment services in stocks and derivatives products
Provides margin trading facility, consumer credit products, asset management company services and other incidental revenues including interest income on fixed deposits with banks earmarked with stock exchanges
Provides equity and derivatives trading, stocks trading, and related brokerage services through Groww Invest Tech Private Limited, which is registered as a stock broker with SEBI, BSE, and NSE.
Distributes mutual funds and operates Groww Mutual Fund (acquired from Indiabulls in 2023) through Groww Asset Management Limited and Groww Trustee Limited, subject to SEBI regulations.
Provides consumer credit including personal loans and loans against securities ('LAS') both through its NBFC subsidiary (Groww Creditserv Technology Private Limited) and through distribution partnerships with external financial institutions.
Provides margin trading facility where customers can purchase stocks by making only a margin payment upfront while the remainder is funded as a loan by Groww Invest Tech Private Limited.
Provides payment aggregation services through Groww Pay Services Private Limited, which is registered as a payment aggregator with the RBI and as a third-party application provider with NPCI.
Transaction-linked brokerage on stocks and derivatives trading, margin trading facility, depository charges, account maintenance charges, and float income from customer deposits
Mutual fund distribution (including Groww Mutual Fund), Portfolio Management Services (PMS), Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), and wealth advisory services
Distribution of personal loans and loans-against-securities (LAS) through partnerships with lenders; earn processing fees and share of net interest income
Direct-only mutual fund distribution via SIPs and lumpsum investments across all AMCs including Groww Mutual Fund. One of foremost platforms with 13% market share in SIP inflows (June 2025) and one of three new SIPs in June 2025 created on Groww.
Buy/sell equities on NSE and BSE, IPO applications, real-time pricing, instant trade confirmations. Market leader by NSE active clients (Sept 2023). Market share in Retail Cash ADTO 23.66% (3M FY26). 100% digital acquisition, no offline channels.
Equity and commodity derivatives trading. Market share in retail Derivatives ADTO 14.43% (June 2025). Features include option chains, suitability checks, safe exit, pause trading.
Allows customers to buy exchange-approved stocks by paying portion of value; Groww funds remaining balance for up to 5 days post-settlement. 1.22% market share (June 2025). Outstanding MTF book ₹10,357.69 million (June 30, 2025).
Personal loans (distribution model with bank/NBFC partners; on-balance sheet via Groww Creditserv Technology NBFC subsidiary) and loans against securities (LAS) launched Feb 2025. GCS loan book ₹11,639.09 million, NPA 1.67% (June 30, 2025).
Distribution of mutual funds, insurance, alternate investment fund units; full-service stock broking; portfolio management; tax filing. Acquired Finwizard Technology (Oct 2025) for ₹9,610.50 million. 0.37 million active customers as of June 30, 2025; 160 wealth partners serving affluent customers (₹2.5 million+ assets).
Acquired Indiabulls Asset Management (May 2023). Offers 30 products (11 active funds, 19 passive). First in India to launch Total Market Index Fund. 1.03 million active investors (June 30, 2025); AUM ₹25,199.18 million (June 30, 2025).
Provides stock broking services, mutual fund distribution and depository services, including margin trading funding
Provides personal loans and consumer durable loans on digital lending platforms
Management of investment portfolio of mutual funds and provides various administrative services to mutual funds and trustee company
Online technological facilitation, business correspondence services to banks, NBFCs and financial institutions, and payment gateway services
Provision of investment, lending, and wealth management services through digital platforms including margin trading, personal loans, consumer durable loans, and mutual fund services
Provides transaction-based revenue earned primarily on Stocks and Derivatives products through brokerage fees and other charges including demat account fees
Provides funded amounts to customers for trading, generating interest income on the funded amounts at applicable interest rates
Provides personal loans partly through distribution partnerships with banks and NBFCs and partly through its NBFC subsidiary, generating processing fees, interest income and ancillary charges
Generates revenue from management fees assessed as a percentage of assets under management from the mutual fund business launched in May 2023
Includes interest income on fixed deposits with banks earmarked with stock exchanges and other incidental revenue

SWOT Analysis

Strengths
  • • Leading market position in investment platform(p.28)
  • • Diversified product and service offerings(p.28)
  • • In-house technology platform(p.28)
  • • Strong investor backing from tier-1 VCs(p.29)
  • • Healthy profitability in recent periods(p.32)
  • • Profitable subsidiary with growing credit business(p.49)
  • • Declining marketing spend as percentage of revenue through organic growth(p.51)
  • • Strong brand reputation driving organic customer acquisition(p.51)
  • • Regulatory compliance and licenses across multiple business verticals(p.52)
  • • Strong brand recognition and organic customer acquisition across India(p.163)
  • • High customer retention with long-term engagement(p.163)
  • • In-house technology infrastructure with significant scale capacity(p.164)
  • • Declining cost structure demonstrating operational efficiency(p.164)
  • • Strong organic customer acquisition efficiency(p.163)
  • • Market leadership in NSE active clients(p.214)
  • • Highest growth rate among top brokers(p.214)
  • • Strong profitability margins(p.213)
  • • High organic customer acquisition(p.221)
  • • Rapid customer asset growth(p.221)
  • • Exceptional customer engagement with multiple product adoption(p.220)
  • • Strong revenue growth rate(p.214)
  • • Diversified geographic reach(p.220)
  • • Market-leading brand with highest search interest among top brokers(p.231)
  • • Highest share of new app downloads among top 5 brokers(p.231)
  • • High organic customer acquisition reducing CAC(p.231)
  • • Pan-India geographic presence with 98.36% pin-code coverage(p.231)
  • • High customer retention at 77.70% after 3 years(p.226)
  • • Price inelasticity demonstrated by negligible impact of fee increases(p.232)
  • • In-house technology infrastructure enabling scale and speed(p.234)
  • • Strong unit economics with 59.11% Adjusted EBITDA margin in FY25(p.228)
  • • Experienced founding team with deep tech expertise and proven track record(p.306)
  • • Diversified financial services ecosystem with multiple revenue streams(p.323)
  • • Strong financial position with substantial cash reserves and liquid investments(p.317)
  • • Significant growth in revenue from operations year-on-year(p.318)
  • • Diversified revenue streams across broking, credit, and asset management(p.376)
  • • Strong profitability with 59.11% Adjusted EBITDA margin in FY2025(p.382)
  • • Growing customer base and user activity across platforms(p.386)
  • • Efficient cost management with decreasing Cost to Grow as % of revenue(p.381)
  • • Strong interest income growth from personal loans and margin trading facility(p.386)
Weaknesses
  • • Significant losses in Fiscal 2024(p.47)
  • • High dependence on Material Subsidiaries for revenue(p.48)
  • • Declining customer acquisition in recent period(p.46)
  • • Declining derivatives user base(p.45)
  • • Revenue decline from broking services(p.45)
  • • Subsidiaries with persistent historical losses requiring financial support(p.49)
  • • Negative operating cash flows in recent periods(p.50)
  • • High employee attrition in customer support operations(p.58)
  • • Rising non-performing assets in consumer credit business(p.64)
  • • Pending trademark registration transfer(p.50)
  • • Multiple regulatory show cause notices and compliance issues(p.52)
  • • Delays in statutory payments historically(p.74)
  • • Dependence on capital injection for subsidiary growth(p.150)
  • • Reliance on external cloud infrastructure and commitment obligations(p.153)
  • • Significant ongoing marketing and promotional expenses required(p.153)
  • • Concentration risk from high margin trading facility exposure(p.216)
  • • Reliance on single dominant product segment(p.221)
  • • Dependence on market volatility and investor sentiment(p.217)
  • • Exposure to regulatory risks and compliance costs(p.217)
  • • Dependence on stock market activity and customer trading behavior(p.226)
  • • High concentration of revenue from limited products - fees and commissions 85.51% of revenue(p.226)
  • • Emerging NBFC loan business with NPA ratio of 1.67%(p.243)
  • • Derivatives business concentration among power traders(p.229)
  • • Dependence on technology platform with potential for system failures(p.323)
  • • High concentration of financial services business among group subsidiaries(p.323)
  • • Significant debt obligations and finance costs(p.318)
  • • Exposure to credit losses on loans portfolio(p.321)
  • • Significant decline in broking services orders due to regulatory changes(p.376)
  • • Volatile revenue from operations dependent on market conditions(p.384)
  • • High concentration of revenue from fees and commission income(p.384)
  • • Significant exceptional tax liability from US outbound merger(p.387)
  • • High finance costs due to subsidiary borrowings(p.386)
Opportunities
  • • Large addressable market with strong growth projections(p.28)
  • • Growing investor participation and digitalization trend(p.28)
  • • Expansion of lending business through subsidiary(p.29)
  • • Growth in MTF (Margin Trading Facility) business(p.29)
  • • Technology infrastructure expansion(p.29)
  • • Brand building and market expansion(p.29)
  • • Expansion of MTF (margin trading facility) product with significant growth potential(p.66)
  • • Growing credit business with loans against securities launch(p.64)
  • • Cloud infrastructure investment to enhance platform capability(p.66)
  • • Acquisition and inorganic growth strategy with FinWizard acquisition(p.67)
  • • Expanding capital base for NBFC subsidiary to support loan growth(p.49)
  • • Expansion into wealth management and adjacent financial services(p.157)
  • • Growth in margin trading facility business with expanding user base(p.156)
  • • Expansion of lending business through GCS capital augmentation(p.155)
  • • Strategic inorganic growth through acquisitions and investments(p.157)
  • • Mutual fund offerings expansion following AMC acquisition(p.157)
  • • Massive market penetration opportunity in Indian capital markets(p.198)
  • • Significant expansion in wealth management and PMS distribution(p.207)
  • • Growth in affluent user base with higher asset accumulation(p.222)
  • • Expanding TAM for investment and wealth management(p.204)
  • • Increasing SIP adoption and passive fund growth(p.195)
  • • India's structural shift from physical to financial assets(p.197)
  • • Large addressable market with only 5% active broking penetration(p.237)
  • • Total addressable market projected to grow from ₹1.1 trillion to ₹2.2-2.6 trillion by FY2030(p.237)
  • • Projected user growth from 66-72 million to 120-130 million by FY2030(p.237)
  • • Multi-product adoption strategy with 1.32x higher AARPU for multi-product users(p.225)
  • • Wealth management market penetration through W by Groww targeting affluent users(p.237)
  • • Rapid product-to-market capability with broking reaching 10% market share in 23 months(p.238)
  • • Expansion into wealth management and asset management services(p.324)
  • • Digital lending platform expansion through personal and consumer durable loan products(p.323)
  • • Growing payment gateway and financial intermediation services(p.323)
  • • Insurance broking and financial advisory services through subsidiaries(p.284)
  • • Expansion of consumer credit business through NBFC subsidiary(p.380)
  • • Growth in asset management and mutual fund distribution(p.380)
  • • Margin Trading Facility offering launched in Fiscal 2025(p.380)
  • • Acquisition of Finwizard Technology to expand broking and fintech capabilities(p.400)
  • • Portfolio management services expansion through new subsidiary(p.418)
Threats
  • • Cyclicality and volatility of financial markets(p.42)
  • • Adverse regulatory changes impacting derivatives revenue(p.45)
  • • SEBI fee structure regulations reducing revenues(p.45)
  • • RBI regulatory measures increasing NBFC lending costs(p.45)
  • • Intense competition in investment platform market(p.46)
  • • Cybersecurity and data breach risks(p.47)
  • • Data privacy regulatory compliance burden(p.48)
  • • Macroeconomic headwinds affecting investor participation(p.46)
  • • Intense competition from established and new market entrants(p.63)
  • • Competition from AI and machine learning driven platforms(p.63)
  • • Dependence on third-party service providers and infrastructure(p.60)
  • • Regulatory risk from multiple compliance requirements(p.53)
  • • Macroeconomic and geopolitical risks affecting Indian markets(p.80)
  • • Customer default risk in credit business(p.63)
  • • Dependence on India Stack infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker)(p.78)
  • • Seasonality and cyclicality in broking business revenue(p.76)
  • • Regulatory and compliance risks in NBFC operations(p.154)
  • • Uncertainty in unidentified acquisition targets and valuation risks(p.158)
  • • Foreign exchange exposure from cloud infrastructure commitments(p.153)
  • • Net proceeds deployment schedule risks and market conditions dependence(p.151)
  • • Intense competition from traditional brokers and global players(p.217)
  • • Regulatory and compliance changes impacting profitability(p.217)
  • • Market volatility and macroeconomic headwinds(p.205)
  • • Cybersecurity and technology infrastructure risks(p.217)
  • • Seasonal and cyclical market fluctuations(p.217)
  • • Rising competitive intensity and customer acquisition costs(p.217)
  • • Regulatory changes in securities and financial services sector(p.259)
  • • Intense competition from established brokers and new fintech entrants(p.231)
  • • Stock market volatility and cyclicality affecting trading volumes(p.237)
  • • Dependence on stock exchange and clearing corporation infrastructure(p.260)
  • • Technology infrastructure risks and cybersecurity threats(p.246)
  • • FX and macroeconomic volatility impacts on investment decisions(p.225)
  • • Regulatory scrutiny and changes in financial services regulations(p.323)
  • • Intense competition in fintech and investment services industry(p.323)
  • • Market cyclicality affecting investment and financial services demand(p.310)
  • • Default risk on loans portfolio impacting profitability(p.321)
  • • Market downturn and disruption impacting trading volumes(p.376)
  • • Regulatory changes reducing derivatives product offerings and contract sizes(p.376)
  • • Intense competition in fintech and investment platform space(p.376)
  • • Regulatory scrutiny and compliance requirements(p.410)
  • • Seasonality and fluctuations in revenue(p.399)

Promoters

NameRolePre-IssuePost-Issue
Lalit KeshrePromoter9.12%—
Harsh JainPromoter6.72%—
Ishan BansalPromoter4.53%—
Neeraj SinghPromoter6.25%—
Peak XV Partners Investments VI-1Selling Shareholder——
YC Holdings II, LLCSelling Shareholder——
Ribbit Capital V, L.P.Selling Shareholder——
Sequoia Capital Global Growth Fund III – U.S./India Annex Fund, L.P.Selling Shareholder——
Lalit KeshrePromoter9.12%—
Harsh JainPromoter6.72%—
Neeraj SinghPromoter6.25%—
Ishan BansalPromoter4.53%—
Lalit KeshrePromoter——
Harsh JainPromoter——
Ishan BansalPromoter/Director——
Neeraj SinghPromoter——
Lalit KeshrePromoter-Whole-time Director (led design team)——
Harsh JainPromoter-Whole-time Director——
Ishan BansalPromoter-Whole-time Director——
Neeraj SinghPromoter-Whole-time Director——
Lalit KeshrePromoter26.62%—
Harsh JainPromoter26.62%—
Ishan BansalPromoter26.62%—
Neeraj SinghPromoter26.62%—
Lalit KeshrePromoter28.12%—
Harsh JainPromoter20.51%—
Neeraj SinghPromoter19.06%—
Ishan BansalPromoter13.62%—
Lalit KeshrePromoter——
Harsh JainPromoter——
Neeraj SinghPromoter——
Ishan BansalPromoter——
Peak XV Partners Investments VI-1Selling Shareholder——
YC Holdings II, LLCSelling Shareholder——
Ribbit Capital V, L.P.Selling Shareholder——
GW-E Ribbit Opportunity V, LLCSelling Shareholder——
Internet Fund VI Pte. Ltd.Selling Shareholder——
Sequoia Capital Global Growth Fund III – U.S./India Annex Fund, L.P.Selling Shareholder——
Propel Venture Partners Global US, LPSelling Shareholder——
Kauffman Fellows Fund, L.P.Selling Shareholder——
Friale Fund IV LLCSelling Shareholder——
Alkeon Innovation Master Fund II, LPSelling Shareholder——
Alkeon Innovation Master Fund II, Private Series, LPSelling Shareholder——
Alkeon Innovation Master Fund, LPSelling Shareholder——
Alkeon Innovation Opportunity Master Fund, LPSelling Shareholder——
Nirman Investments, L.P.Selling Shareholder——
Nirman Holdings, L.P.Selling Shareholder——
Lalit KeshrePromoter——
Harsh JainPromoter——
Neeraj SinghPromoter——
Ishan BansalPromoter——

Leadership

Lalit Keshre · Promoter/Founder
Harsh Jain · Promoter/Founder
Ishan Bansal · Promoter/Founder
Neeraj Singh · Promoter/Founder
Roshan Bhanuprakash Dave · Company Secretary and Compliance Officer

Auto-extracted from the company's RHP using AI, with each fact linked to its source passage (hover any row to see the quote & page). Provided for research only, not investment advice — verify against the official RHP before relying on it.

Disclaimer. Figures are compiled from the issuer's offer document and exchange-published bidding data. Subscription changes until the issue closes, and the final basis of allotment is published by the registrar. Grey Market Premium is unofficial, indicative data from unregulated grey-market dealers — it is not published by NSE, BSE, SEBI or the issuer, and is not a forecast of the listing price. Nothing here is investment advice or a recommendation; read the offer document and consult a SEBI-registered adviser before applying.