The Indian government has approved the proposal for the listing and disinvestment of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), paving the way for the coal producer’s potential stock market debut through an initial public offering (IPO).
According to an official communication, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and the Ministry of Coal had placed the proposal before the Alternative Mechanism (AM) after securing approvals from the boards of Coal India Limited (CIL) and MCL.
MCL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Coal India, is among India’s largest coal-producing companies with operations concentrated in Odisha. The listing would mark another major divestment initiative by the Centre as it seeks to deepen capital markets participation in state-run enterprises.
The AM has now cleared the proposal, allowing CIL to dilute its stake in MCL through an offer for sale (OFS) as part of the IPO and through additional tranches subsequently. The approval also allows MCL to raise fresh capital through issuance of equity shares during the IPO and later via follow-on public offers (FPOs), qualified institutional placements (QIPs) or other Sebi-approved routes.
The government said the disinvestment and fundraising exercises may be carried out either simultaneously or separately and could take place in multiple tranches. However, the total dilution under these mechanisms will be capped at reducing Coal India’s stake in MCL by up to 25%.
The proposed listing will remain subject to prevailing market conditions and completion of statutory and regulatory requirements.
One of Coal India's subsidiaries, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDI) was listed in March 2026 via an IPO route. Its IPO was a book built issue of Rs 1,841.45 crores and the issue is entirely an offer for sale of 10.71 crore shares. The public issue was launched at a price of Rs 172 per share. Its shares are currently trading at Rs 232.95 on the NSE.
Meanwhile, Coal India shares ended at Rs 462.20, gaining by Rs 8.15 or 1.79% over the Thursday closing price.
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