The Government of India has conferred the esteemed ‘Navratna’ status on NHPC Limited and RailTel Corporation of India Limited, granting them greater financial and operational autonomy. This recognition, issued by the Department of Public Enterprise (DPE) under the Ministry of Finance on August 30, is a significant achievement for both companies, reflecting their exceptional performance and strategic importance in their respective sectors.
NHPC Limited, a leading player in India’s hydropower sector, expressed pride in this achievement. NHPC’s Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), A.K. Singh, called it a “historic moment” for the organization, acknowledging the Ministry of Power’s continuous support and trust. Singh emphasized NHPC’s commitment to green energy and its role in harnessing India’s hydropower potential. With the new status, NHPC will benefit from increased decision-making speed, improved efficiency, and enhanced capability to pursue major capital expenditures and investments.
This will also enable NHPC to establish joint ventures, expand internationally, and innovate through technological alliances, strengthening its market position. Currently, NHPC’s total installed capacity is 7,144.20 MW, with projects totaling 10,442.70 MW under construction, including the Subansiri Lower project and Dibang Multi-purpose project. The company aims to achieve an installed capacity of 23,000 MW by 2032 and 50,000 MW by 2047.
Similarly, RailTel Corporation, a public sector unit under the Ministry of Railways, has been recognized as the 22nd Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) to achieve ‘Navratna’ status. Since its inception in 2000, RailTel has evolved from being an in-house telecom service provider for Indian Railways to one of India’s largest neutral telecom infrastructure providers. RailTel’s CMD, Sanjai Kumar, expressed excitement over the achievement, highlighting the company’s rapid growth and strategic vision.
The new status will provide RailTel with greater financial freedom, facilitating expanded capital expenditure and enabling international business expansion. The company boasts a robust telecom infrastructure, including a 62,000 Route Kilometers optical fiber network and one of the largest integrated public Wi-Fi networks, covering over 6,000 railway stations across India. RailTel also offers a comprehensive range of IT and ICT services, including data center and cloud services, telecom infrastructure services, and railway signaling projects.
