“With about three crucial weeks to go, it may go up to ₹66,000-67,000 crore this fiscal if all goes well, way above the revised estimate of ₹55,000 crore,” he said. The collection had hit a record ₹63,749 crore in 2023-24.
The entities include all the non-financial central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) and those in which the government holds minority stakes.
Higher dividend would offset any potential shortfall in the Centre’s miscellaneous receipts, which include disinvestment and monetisation, from the revised estimate of ₹33,000 crore for this fiscal.
Petroleum Cos Leading
The mop-up from disinvestment alone stands at just ₹8,625 crore so far this fiscal. State-run firms in the petroleum, coal and power sectors have accounted for more than 67% of the total dividend mop-up so far this fiscal.
Petroleum firms alone have coughed up ₹21,443 crore, while coal and power sector companies have paid ₹10,402 crore and ₹8,369 crore, respectively.
This would be the fifth straight year when such dividend revenue would beat the revised annual estimate.
Strong profits recorded by CPSEs and the government’s 2020 policy for them to cough up regular dividends after setting aside capital for growth are boosting the mop-up in recent years, said the official.
Outlook for FY26
The government has budgeted ₹69,000 crore in dividend from these entities for 2025-26. It expects robust profitability, especially among its petroleum companies, due to an anticipated moderation in global oil prices. CPSEs in the power and coal sectors are also expected to rake in good profits in the next fiscal as well.
Global oil prices are falling in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s focus on further drilling and raising output amid a slowdown in Chinese demand.
Already, crude prices dropped to a three-year low below $70 a barrel last week after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies decided to go ahead with a planned output increase in April.
Content Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com