The Finance Ministry upgraded two oil sector companies, Oil India and ONGC Videsh, to Maharatna and Navratna categories of central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), respectively.
The new status will help the companies take decisions on large investments on their own, both within India and abroad.
Oil India was earlier a Navratna company, while ONGC Videsh was a Miniratna company.
OIL will be the 13th Maharatna amongst the CPSEs
Its origins are dating back to 1889 — the year of oil discovery in India.
The state-owned enterprise is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and
OIL is the second largest national oil and gas company in India.
The Maharatna scheme was introduced for CPSEs in 2010 in order to empower them to expand operations and emerge as global giants.
CPSEs fulfilling the following criteria may be considered for Maharatna status: Holding Navratna status; listed on the Indian stock exchange, with a minimum prescribed public shareholding under SEBI regulations.
An average annual net profit exceeding Rs 2,500 crore during the last three years; and the significant global presence or the international operations will also be considered.
OVL will be 14th Navratna amongst the CPSEs.
A Navratna CPSE can incur capital expenditure, without any monetary ceiling, on the purchase of new items or for replacement.
It can enter into technology joint ventures or strategic alliances. It can obtain, through purchase or other arrangements, technology and knowhow.
It can raise debt from the domestic capital markets and international market, subject to the approval of RBI/Department of Economic Affairs.
It can establish financial joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries in India or abroad within an investment ceiling of Rs 1,000 crore.