Govt likely to give up direct controlling stakes in ONGC, IOC, NTPC, GAIL

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week set a record Rs 1.05 trillion ($15 billion) asset sales target in the year started April 1

India will likely give up direct control of its most-profitable state-run behemoths as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to keep the budget deficit in check, while reviving investments to spur economic growth.

The government has identified the biggest energy companies such as Oil & Natural Gas Corp., Indian Oil Corp., NTPC Ltd. and GAIL India Ltd. as probable candidates for cutting its direct holding to below 51 per cent, Atanu Chakraborty, who steers Modi’s asset sale department, said in an interview Monday in New Delhi. “Government’s indirect holding, through arms such as Life Insurance Corp. of India, will stay above