Mumbai: Infotech bellwether Wipro is most likely to come out with a public issue within the next couple of years.

A top official from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said, "Since Wipro was listed before the 10-per cent listing rules came into effect, it will now have to up its public shareholding to 25 per cent within the next two years."

This also means that Azim Premji, chief of Wipro, will have to bring down his holding in the company to 75 per cent within the next two years. As June 30, 2005, the promoters hold 82.37 per cent stake in Wipro.

Public shareholders including the domestic and the foreign institutions, apart from other corporate bodies, hold 17.63 per cent in the company. This includes the American Depository Receipts (ADRs), which account for a miniscule 1.46 per cent.

Premji, thus, will have to offload 7.37 per cent or Rs4,160 crore of his share within the next two years to comply with the new regulations.

Till now it was not clear whether Wipro, would have to comply with the recently announced SEBI regulations that require all listed companies to bring down their promoters'' holdings to 75 per cent within the next two years.

Market participants expected Wipro to be exempted from the new regulations due to its huge size.