IDBI Bank Privatisation On Track As Per Strategic Sale Process: DIPAM Secretary

Debunking media reports which indicated a possibility of deferment of IDBI Bank disinvestment, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management said the stake sale is in the post-EoI stage

The government and the LIC are together selling about 61 per cent stake in IDBI Bank and had in January received multiple Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the same.

Source : Getty

The central government on Friday said the disinvestment of IDBI Bank is on track as per the defined strategic sale process, the PTI reported. According to PTI, debunking media reports which indicated a possibility of deferment of IDBI Bank disinvestment, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) said the stake sale is in the post-EoI stage.

"The transaction continues to be on track as per the defined process in post-EoI stage following receipts of multiple EoIs," DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey tweeted.

Reports appearing in a section of the media indicating the possibility of deferment of IDBI Bank disinvestment are misleading, speculative and baseless. The transaction continues to be on track as per the defined process in post-EoI stage following receipts of multiple EoIs. pic.twitter.com/HL8a1Xc3H5

— Secretary, DIPAM (@SecyDIPAM) March 17, 2023

The government and the LIC are together selling about 61 per cent stake in IDBI Bank and had in January received multiple Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the same.

DIPAM, which manages government holding in state-owned enterprises, in October last year invited EoIs for selling a 30.48 per cent stake in IDBI Bank, along with LIC's 30.24 per cent stake in the bank.

The government and LIC together hold a 94.72 per cent stake in IDBI Bank, which will come down to 34 per cent after the strategic sale.

Currently, the government and the RBI are in the process of vetting the bids received. Security clearance from Government and Fit and Proper clearance from the RBI would be necessary for the bidders to move to the second stage of bidding process which is due diligence and subsequent invitation of financial bids.

The investors who have put in EoI have already submitted required information to secure fit and proper and security clearance.

Officials expect the transaction to get over in the second half of the next fiscal beginning April 2023. Pursuant to the transaction, the government will own a 15 per cent stake and LIC 19 per cent in IDBI Bank, taking their total holding to 34 per cent.

Earlier, DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey said the government is likely to sell a part of its residual stake in Hindustan Zinc Ltd by next month to help it achieve the revised sell-off target of Rs 50,000 crore for the current fiscal year.