Top 10 Public Sector Companies in India
Public sector companies are companies in which the majority of the shares are owned by the state. There are currently more than 250 public-sector companies doing well in their respective fields. Of these public-sector corporations, some have Maharatna status, some Navratna status, and some Miniratna status (Category I and Category II).
These statuses are awarded to companies that meet parameters set by the government, including annual reporting, net worth, and benefits. Public-sector companies not only provide great products but also create extensive employment opportunities.
1. ONGC
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is an Indian oil and gas explorer and producer. It is owned by the Ministry of Oil and Gas and the Government of India. The head office is located in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. In a survey conducted by the Government of India for FY2019–20, it was ranked as the largest for-profit public sector enterprise (PSU) in India.
It is engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in 26 sedimentary basins in India and owns and operates more than 11,000 kilometres of pipelines in the country. ONGC has discovered 7 of the 8 Indian production basins and added more than 7.15 billion tonnes of oil and gas in lieu of the hydrocarbon volume in the Indian basins. ONGC Limited is also involved in corporate social responsibility by making contributions in areas such as health care, environmental protection, water management, etc.
2. Coal India Limited (CIL)
Coal India Limited (CIL) is a mining and refining company owned by the government of India. It is owned by the Government of India’s Coal Ministry and is based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It is the largest coal producer in the world and a Maharatna Public Sector Company (PSU). It is also the seventh-largest employer in India, with nearly 272,000 employees.
The company contributes about 82% of the total coal production in India. It produced 554.14 million tonnes of raw coal in 2016-17, up from its previous production of 494.24 million tonnes of coal in the fiscal year 2014-15, and had sales of Rs 95,435 crore ($13 billion) for the sale of coal in the same financial year. As a winner of multiple awards, Coal India Limited operates in India through many subsidiary companies such as Central Coalfields Limited, Western Coalfields Limited, Northern Coalfields Limited, etc. Coal India Limited has over 400 coal mines, many of them in different parts of the country.
3. NTPC
NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is a public sector company in India. It is dedicated to power generation and related activities. Power, Government of India.
The headquarters of the company is in New Delhi. The main function of NTPC is the generation and distribution of electricity to the State Electricity Boards of India. The agency also executes consulting contracts and turnkey projects that include engineering, project management, construction management, and power plant operations and management.
4. Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Indian Oil Corporation Limited is an oil and gas explorer and producer owned by the Government of India. It is owned by the Department of Petroleum & Gas of the Government of India and is based in New Delhi, Delhi NCT, India.
The public sector company is ranked 212th on the Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s largest companies as of 2021. It is the country’s largest state-owned oil company, with a net income of $6.1 billion for the 2020–21 fiscal year. IOCL operates 10 refineries in the country, which have a combined refining capacity of more than 60 million tonnes per year. Some of IOCL’s products include crude oil, kerosene, gasoline, and diesel.
5. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited is an Indian public corporation headquartered in Gurugram, India, that is primarily engaged in bulk power transmission in various Indian states. The grid transmits about 50% of all electricity generated in India through its transmission grid.
It is also PAS 99 certified: In addition to India, PGCIL has a strong presence in more than 15 countries in Asia and Africa. The countries where PGCIL operates include Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and Nepal.
6. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is a government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer. It is owned by the Department of Petroleum and Gas of the Government of India and is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
It operates two major refineries in Kochi and Mumbai. India’s second-largest downstream state-owned oil company was ranked 309th on Fortune’s 2020 list of the world’s largest companies and 792nd on the 2021 Forbes Global 2000 list.
7. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
The next public sector company is Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, which was established in 1964 and is engaged in the manufacture of electrical and industrial equipment. Some of the company’s products are boilers, steam turbines, transmission systems, transformers, and switchgear.
Located in New Delhi, BHEL has more than 15 manufacturing and repair units in India. BHEL also exports various products to more than 20 countries in the world.
8. GAIL (India)
GAIL (India) Limited (formerly known as Gas Authority of India Ltd.) is a state-owned natural gas exploration company and producer responsible for the processing and distribution of natural gas in India. It is headquartered in GAIL Bhawan, New Delhi, India.
 It is owned by the Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Gas. It has the following business segments: Natural Gas, Hydrocarbon Liquids, LNG Transportation, Petrochemicals, Municipal Gas Distribution, Renewable Energy including Solar and Wind Power, Exploration and Production, Petrochemicals, GAILTEL, and Power Generation.
9. NMDC
NMDC Limited (formerly National Mineral Development Corporation) is a government mineral producer. It is owned by the Indian Ministry of Steel. participates in the exploration of iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, Magnesite, tin, tungsten, graphite, etc.
It is India’s largest producer and exporter of iron ore, producing more than 35 million tonnes of iron ore from three mechanised mines in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. It also operates the country’s only mechanised diamond mine at Panna in Madhya Pradesh. NMDC is in the process of spinning off its Nagarnar iron and steel plant by mid-2022 and listing the spin-off company.
10. PFC
At number 10 is Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC), which was founded in 1986 and is dedicated to providing financial support for energy and other infrastructure projects.
Winner of the CBIP award for Best Energy Financing Company, PFC is a Navratna-based company and has 9 subsidiaries providing financial services.
Edited by Prakriti Arora
