India plans minority stake sales in six state firms to boost divestment

The Indian government plans to sell minority stakes in about half a dozen state-run companies, including in sectors like defence and insurance, to boost divestment proceeds, according to Arunish Chawla, the Divestment Secretary. The government aims to raise ₹47,000 crore through stake sales and asset monetisation in the current financial year ending March 2026 and expects dividend receipts from public sector firms to exceed ₹69,000 crore. An initial public offering (IPO) of a state-run firm in the natural resources sector is also planned, potentially involving subsidiaries such as ONGC Green Energy or NHPC Renewable Energy. The government intends to offer more offers for sale (OFS), IPOs, and other routes to create value opportunities for small retail investors, with an optimistic outlook to exceed disinvestment targets. Chawla expressed confidence that the disinvestment of IDBI Bank is likely to be completed by the end of FY25. Overall, the government emphasizes its commitment to revitalizing the disinvestment process and benefiting small investors.