BS Number Wise: A strategy for non-strategic state firms as losses mount

The govt needs to act quickly to capitalise on the assets of such enterprises

The pandemic has resurrected a debate on state capitalism, with the public sector’s performance during the pandemic making critics reconsider its role in certain areas.
 

In India, the government decided to reduce its size and have a dozen state-owned companies in a clutch of strategic sectors. 
 

In February 2021, it announced a new Public Sector Enterprise policy that seeks privatisation of state-owned companies barring a few in strategic sectors. It is yet to act on the policy.
 

In May, it announced picking 60 central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) in the non-strategic sector for either closure or privatisation. The idea is