Govt plans disinvestment through cross-holdings

25 Apr 2012 Evaluate

Finding it difficult to raise money in a subdued market, the government is looking at the possibility of divesting stake in state-owned firms through cross-holdings, where government stake in one public sector units (PSU) is bought by the other. This way, more of PSUs would have cross equity holdings among themselves.

The Cabinet had approved cross-holdings among PSUs during the last month and the ministries have now been asked by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) to send proposals in this regard directly to the Department of Disinvestment (DoD). The cabinet has also approved the proposal to allow blue-chip PSUs to buy-back their own shares.

The government is in the process of coming up with ways to meet its disinvestment targets in a market that is sluggish and does not have much appetite for PSU shares. The recent disinvestment of ONGC wherein LIC had to step in the last minute to salvage the situation only confirms this.

In 2011-12, the government had set a disinvestment target at an ambitious Rs 40,000 crore. However the final proceeds were dismally low at Rs 14,000 crore.  The disinvestment target has been set at Rs 30,000 crore for the current fiscal.

Meanwhile, the DoD is toying with an idea to plough back the disinvestment proceeds in the PSUs to enable them finance their expansion and scout for raw material assets abroad, particularly in the areas of oil, gas and iron ore.

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