Government plans HUDCO, NBCC, NTPC share sale; may raise Rs 5,900 crore to exchequer

New Delhi: The government is planning to sell up to 10 percent stake each in real estate firms HUDCO and NBCC as also 3 percent in NTPC through an offer for sale (OFS), which could fetch about Rs 5,900 crore to the exchequer. The finance ministry will soon float Request for Proposals (RFP) to appoint merchant bankers for managing the stake sale of HUDCO and NBCC, a source said. “The Cabinet has cleared up to 10 percent stake sale in NBCC and HUDCO through OFS. Whether it would be sold in one go or not would be decided based on investor response,” the source told PTI. At the current market price, the sale of 10 percent in HUDCO and NBCC could fetch about Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 1,200 crore to the exchequer. NTPC’s 3 percent OFS would fetch about Rs 3,700. [caption id=“attachment_4472957” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] The Cabinet had already approved 10 percent stake sale in power producer NTPC, of which 7 percent was sold in August last year. The stake sale fetched Rs 9,100 crore. The source said that depending on market condition, the stake sale will happen. With regard to state-owned HUDCO and NBCC, the ministry is keeping the companies ready to launch it as and when the time is ripe. “HUDCO and NBCC OFS will take time, could be in October-December quarter,” the source said. Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) had listed itself on the stock exchanges in May last year. The source said that one-year lock-in requirement is over and government can now go ahead with follow-on offers or OFS. The IPO of HUDCO saw a huge demand from investors and was subscribed nearly 80 times. The government had last sold 15 percent stake through an OFS in NBCC for about Rs 2,200 crore in October 2016. Currently, it holds 89.81 percent in HUDCO and 73.69 percent NBCC. In NTPC, its stake stands at 61.71 percent. Shares of HUDCO were trading flat at Rs 53.15 on BSE, while that of NBCC were quoted at Rs 67.55, up 0.45 percent. NTPC shares were trading up 0.96 percent at Rs 152.40 on the BSE. The share sales would help the government move further towards the Rs 80,000 crore disinvestment target of the current fiscal. It has so far raised Rs 9,000 crore.