New Delhi, June 25: The Indian government has successfully raised over ₹25,000 crore through the Offer for Sale (OFS) mechanism in 2026. This marks the highest amount collected via OFS in the past decade, according to market data.
According to data from Prime Database, the central government has amassed approximately ₹25,491 crore by selling stakes in eight listed public sector undertakings (PSUs) this year. This figure represents the largest amount raised through PSU OFS issues since 2015, when the government collected around ₹35,291 crore from five listed companies.
When including private sector issues, a total of 24 listed companies have raised nearly ₹29,445 crore through OFS so far this year. This amount is close to the ₹30,178 crore raised by 28 companies in 2024 and is not far from the record ₹35,566 crore raised by 19 companies in 2015.
The government has sold stakes in several prominent firms, including Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), Central Bank of India, Coal India, NHPC, NLC India, and General Insurance Corporation of India. The private sector has also utilized the OFS market effectively.
Experts note that despite volatility in the domestic stock market due to foreign institutional investor withdrawals, geopolitical uncertainties, and fluctuations in crude oil prices, PSU stocks have generally performed averagely following OFS launches.
They also mentioned that the funds raised from stake sales at the beginning of the year could help cover increased expenses related to food, fertilizer, and cooking gas subsidies.
Recently, BHEL has emerged as the best-performing stock among the divested PSUs, trading approximately 62% above its OFS floor price. In contrast, IRFC remains about 3% below its February OFS floor price, while Central Bank of India has gained nearly 6% since its issuance in May.
Coal India and NHPC have both climbed around 9% above their respective OFS floor prices, while NSC India and General Insurance Corporation of India have recorded increases of about 1% and 4%, respectively.
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