Govt to raise $81 bn from infras asset sale in next four years

24 Aug 2021 CW Team

The Centre is planning to raise $ 81 billion through the sale of state-owned infrastructure assets over the next four years to help strengthen the government's finances and plug its budget deficit.

The plan will involve the sale of road and railway assets, airports, gas pipelines, and power transmission lines.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to release the roadmap to the public later Monday.

The proposed sales are in line with the strategic divestment policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under which the state will retain a presence in only a few identified sectors with the rest privatised. As much as Rs 1.75 trillion has been budgeted by the government from such sales in the financial year through March 2022 to make up for the pandemic-linked reduction in tax revenue.

While broader divestment proposals this financial year include an initial public offering (IPO) by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India as well as sales of stake in companies such as Air India Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and many more.

Revenue from monetising roads is pegged at Rs 1.6 trillion, while that from railways, is observed at Rs 1.5 trillion. Assets of the power sector may fetch Rs one trillion, telecommunication assets Rs 400 billion, and gas pipelines Rs 590 billion, as per the sources.

Public warehouses, port infrastructure and civil aviation, sports stadiums, and mining assets are expected to fetch another Rs 1 trillion.

The monetisation plan, announced by Ms Sitharaman, will serve as a medium-term road map for the asset sale initiative of the government, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog told the media.

The asset sales income is key to narrowing the nation's budget deficit, which Sitharaman anticipates to be 6.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the financial year that began April 1, against 9.3% in the previous year.

Image Source

Also read: Nirmala Sitharaman launches National Monetisation Pipeline

Also read: Government prepares one stop portal for asset monetisation

"Join industry leaders at RAHSTA Expo, India's premier platform for roads, highways and traffic infrastructure. Register now to explore innovations, network with experts and shape the future of mobility."

The Centre is planning to raise $ 81 billion through the sale of state-owned infrastructure assets over the next four years to help strengthen the government's finances and plug its budget deficit. The plan will involve the sale of road and railway assets, airports, gas pipelines, and power transmission lines. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to release the roadmap to the public later Monday. The proposed sales are in line with the strategic divestment policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under which the state will retain a presence in only a few identified sectors with the rest privatised. As much as Rs 1.75 trillion has been budgeted by the government from such sales in the financial year through March 2022 to make up for the pandemic-linked reduction in tax revenue. While broader divestment proposals this financial year include an initial public offering (IPO) by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India as well as sales of stake in companies such as Air India Limited and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and many more. Revenue from monetising roads is pegged at Rs 1.6 trillion, while that from railways, is observed at Rs 1.5 trillion. Assets of the power sector may fetch Rs one trillion, telecommunication assets Rs 400 billion, and gas pipelines Rs 590 billion, as per the sources. Public warehouses, port infrastructure and civil aviation, sports stadiums, and mining assets are expected to fetch another Rs 1 trillion. The monetisation plan, announced by Ms Sitharaman, will serve as a medium-term road map for the asset sale initiative of the government, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog told the media. The asset sales income is key to narrowing the nation's budget deficit, which Sitharaman anticipates to be 6.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the financial year that began April 1, against 9.3% in the previous year. Image Source Also read: Nirmala Sitharaman launches National Monetisation Pipeline Also read: Government prepares one stop portal for asset monetisation

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..