21 strategic PSU stake sales in 26 years as IDBI Bank joins the list
The sales of BALCO, VSNL and Hindustan Zinc in the early 2000s, followed by transactions involving THDC India, NEEPCO and Air India, account for much of this history
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The Cabinet’s approval on Wednesday for the strategic sale of IDBI Bank to a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings takes the number of privatisation transactions in India to 21. It is also the largest strategic disinvestment since the sale of Air India in 2022.
From the first phase of Modern Food Industries’ sale in 1999-2000 to the proposed IDBI Bank transaction, the government’s record of transferring ownership and management control of public sector enterprises has been marked by landmark deals interspersed with long gaps. The sales of BALCO, VSNL and Hindustan Zinc in the early 2000s, followed by the transactions involving THDC India, NEEPCO and Air India, account for much of this history.
The IDBI Bank deal has renewed attention on the government’s privatisation efforts, even as several transactions have taken years to progress from announcement to completion.
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 "The move comes as Union Budget for FY27 pegged the disinvestmenttarget at around ₹80,000 crore")
 "RBI, Reserve Bank of India")
 "Proceeds from the IDBI Bank stake sale would provide a significant boost to the government's goal of raising 800 billion rupees")
 "Sanjay Malhotra, RBI Governor | Photo: Kamlesh Pednekar")
 "HDFC Bank, HDFC Bank whole-time directors, HDFC Bank succession planning, WTD appointments, RBI corporate governance, private bank leadership, Anup Bagchi, Kaizad Bharucha, Sashidhar Jagdishan, domestic systemically important banks, D-SIBs, NBFC uppe")
Topics : PSU strategic sale Fairfax IDBI Bank Industry Report
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First Published: Oct 15 2026 | 12:02 AM IST