“The decision to go public should never be driven by the availability of capital alone”

Going public can change much more than a company’s access to capital. It can change how a business plans, operates and prepares for the future. That is the shift SIMCA Advertising Limited is now experiencing after its listing on NSE Emerge earlier this year. 

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Mumbai, SIMCA has built its business across billboard advertising, transit media, DOOH, sponsorships and integrated media solutions across Maharashtra and beyond. Its public market journey comes at a time when the OOH industry itself is moving towards greater use of technology, data and digital infrastructure. 

We spoke with Fahim Batliwala, Chairman, Managing Director and Promoter of SIMCA Advertising Limited, to understand the company’s journey to the public market and what has changed since its listing.  

“The decision to go public should never be driven by the availability of capital alone. It should be driven by the readiness of the business,” said Fahim. “An IPO is not the point where a company begins building strong governance, operational discipline, or scalability; it is where those strengths become visible to the market.” 

That readiness also changes the way leadership looks at growth. The focus moves towards building a company that can create value over a longer period. Technology is another major factor that has defined the growth outlook for SIMCA. The traditional importance of location is now being complemented by digital screens, audience data, programmatic buying and campaign optimisation. 

“The future of outdoor advertising will be shaped by technology as much as by location,” Fahim explained. “Digital screens, programmatic buying, audience analytics, and AI-driven campaign optimisation are transforming how brands engage consumers in physical spaces.” 

Building trust through transparency  

Transparency is equally important in this new environment. Advertisers and agencies now want partners that can offer consistency, accountability and reliability alongside physical inventory. Public listing places these expectations under greater focus. 

As Fahim put it, “Today’s advertisers and agencies are looking for partners that offer more than media inventory. They value consistency, reliability, and accountability because these qualities reduce risk and strengthen long-term collaboration.” 

The larger opportunity, according to Fahim, is to change how OOH is viewed, from a traditional advertising medium to a modern media infrastructure business. 

The next phase of growth 

SIMCA’s next phase will focus on building a future-ready organisation. “We will continue investing in premium media assets, expanding our Digital Out-of-Home capabilities and strengthening technology-led solutions that make campaigns more dynamic, measurable and responsive.” 

Beyond its own growth, SIMCA also looks forward to playing a significant role in shaping the future of India’s OOH industry. 

Read the entire story in the August edition of Outdoor Asia Magazine.