India approves sale of Coal India stake, seeks $3 billion
NEW DELHI - India’s cabinet has cleared the sale of another 10 percent stake in state-run Coal India Ltd that could raise as much as $3 billion, a minister said on Wednesday, as the government seeks more funds to spend on infrastructure.
Bankers have already put in bids to manage a similar stake sale in the company as part of New Delhi’s aim to raise more than $10 billion by March by selling minority stakes in state firms. The government owns about 79 percent of the world’s largest coal miner.
India has raised just about $2 billion, or less than 20 percent of its divestment target, so far this year.
The timing of the latest Coal India stake sale will be decided by the finance ministry, Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The divestment could raise as much as 200 billion Indian rupees ($3.02 billion), he said.
Goyal also said India would launch an initial public offering of Cochin Shipyard Ltd, which runs a yard that can build and repair big vessels. ($1 = 66.2200 Indian rupees)
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