Once the IPO is launched, the IPO registrar publishes and releases a document to the stock exchanges and interested investors comprising information about the IPO's final price, the bidding or demand information, and the share allotment or allocation ratio. This document is known as the Basis of Allotment, also referred to as the basis of allocation. As an investor, you must bear in mind that this document is categorised based on the categories of interested investors and the number of shares they have applied for. You can get the detailed information of the IPO, including the total number of applications received along with the allocation details, in this document. A crucial component of this document is the allotment ratio which provides insight on whether the IPO is oversubscribed, and if it is, by how many times. These details are critical because they allow you to assess the number of eligible applicants who will be allotted IPO shares from the actual number of applicants. For instance, if the allotment ratio is 1:8, it means that one applicant out of every eight will receive one lot of shares. If the allotment ratio is labelled as FIRM, all applicants will certainly receive some shares.