Along with the opposition, key BJP allies Shiv Sena and Samata Party also slammed Divestment Minister Arun Shourie for going ahead with the strategic sale of the equity of the two public sector oil giants.
Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie said Tuesday the SEBI has initiated an investigation into the fall of share prices of BPCL and HPCL.
After ONGC and IFFCO, state-run gas firm GAIL on Tuesday said it would bid for acquiring controlling stake in oil refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corporation if it was permitted by the government policy.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday allowed Non-Resident Indian steel baron Lakshmi N Mittal to pick up 49 per cent stake in state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp's Bhatinda refinery.
IOC along with HPCL and BPCL took a hit of about Rs 4,500 crore from absorbing Re 1 a litre hike.
Diesel rates had gone up by Rs 12.55 a litre between June 7, when oil firms resumed revising prices in line with cost, and July 25.
Stocks of Indian companies with exposure to Europe fell on Tuesday amid concerns about the impact on their sales in case the Russia-Ukraine crisis worsens and the US and its allies impose economic sanctions on Russia. While top conglomerates, including Reliance Industries, the Tata group, and Aditya Birla Group, said they did not have any significant exposure to Russia, executives of some of the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, and tea companies said they were monitoring the situation closely as they earned substantial income from the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered troops into two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine after announcing that Russia would recognise their independence.
Petrol price in the national capital neared the Rs 85 a litre mark while diesel rates in Mumbai were close to Rs 82 as fuel prices were raised by 25 paise per litre each on Monday. Petrol now costs a lifetime high of Rs 84.95 per litre in Delhi while diesel comes for Rs 75.13, according to a price notification from oil marketing companies. The price hike on Monday came after three days of unchanged rates. Prices were last hiked by 50 paise a litre in two instalments on January 13 and 14.
Petrol and diesel prices on Tuesday were hiked for the sixth time this month, propelling prices to cross the Rs 100-a-litre-mark in places from Nanded in Maharashtra to Rewa in Madhya Pradesh to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Petrol price was hiked by 27 paise a litre and diesel by 30 paise per litre, according to a price notification by state-owned fuel retailers. The increase took petrol and diesel prices to their highest-ever level across the country. In Delhi, petrol now comes for Rs 91.80 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 82.36.
A bonus is given to existing stockholders in proportion to the number of shares they already hold.
Ajit Mishra, vice president, research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.
State-run Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd on Monday a net loss of Rs 607.67 crore (Rs 6.07 billion) for the quarter ended June 30, as compared to net loss of Rs 507.89 crore.
Petrol price on Friday scaled to Rs 102 per litre in some parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after rates were raised for the fourth straight day after ending more than two-week-long hiatus during assembly elections in states like West Bengal. On Friday, petrol price was hiked by a steep 29 paise per litre and diesel by 31 paise a litre, according to a price notification by state-owned fuel retailers. This took the price of petrol in Delhi to Rs 91.27 per litre and that of diesel to Rs 81.73.
Petrol price on Wednesday touched a new high of Rs 84.45 per litre in the national capital after state-owned fuel retailers hiked prices after a five-day hiatus. Petrol and diesel prices were hiked by 25 paise per litre each, according to a price notification from oil marketing companies. In Delhi, petrol now costs Rs 84.45 per litre and diesel is priced at Rs 74.63. In Mumbai, petrol comes for Rs 91.07 a litre and diesel for Rs 81.34. This is the highest ever price of petrol in Delhi, while diesel is at a record high in Mumbai.
As many as 20 central public sector enterprises and their units are at various stages of strategic disinvestment, while six are being considered for closure or are under litigation, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said on Monday.
The divestment of Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) may hit a fuel price hurdle, according to officials dealing with the matter. They pointed out that the inconspicuous administered price regime could hamper the prospects for potential buyers of BPCL. A senior oil ministry official said public-sector oil-marketing companies (OMCs) take a hit when they sell petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), three of the most popular petroleum products in the country.
The state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd has proposed to lay a Rs 1,300 crore (Rs 13 billion) pipeline from Mundra in Gujarat to Delhi for transporting petroleum products to northern India.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd is to set up three liquefied petroleum gas bottling plants with an investment of Rs 55 crore (Rs 550 million) even as it plans to introduce the 5-kg LPG cylinders in the urban areas.
Many users did not know that their entitlement was not coming to their regular bank account but going to an account which they had not applied for.
Ajit Mishra, vice president, research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.
Petrol and diesel prices on Thursday climbed to fresh highs in the country as rates were hiked by the most in recent times, even as fuel retailers said the government can cut taxes to ease consumer burden. Petrol and diesel price was hiked by 35 paise per litre each after a gap of a week, according to price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. The increase took petrol prices to a fresh high of Rs 86.65 a litre in Delhi and to Rs 93.20 in Mumbai.
Changing tracks helps. But, not taking the beaten path isn't always helpful. This is the story of two of India's biggest privatisations - Air India and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL). Nearly two decades after the last privatisation, a landmark divestment concluded this year when the loss-making national carrier Air India was sold to the Tatas.
Oil marketing companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL have invited expressions of interest from start-ups that wish to be enrolled as fuel entrepreneurs for doorstep delivery of high-speed diesel through mobile petrol pumps.
McDonald's India, with an eye to expand in East, may open restaurants at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) outlets in Kolkata during the year.
Ajit Mishra, vice president, research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.
A pilot for daily revision of petrol and diesel price will be first implemented in Puducherry and Vizag in Andhra Pradesh, Udaipur in Rajasthan, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Chandigarh
Iraq is willing to double the credit period on crude sales to 60 days if Indian refiners buy more in 2014, the head of refineries at Hindustan Petroleum said. Iran has also sweetened the deal to expand its dwindling market share by offering free shipment and a nominal discount to Indian refiners, sources said last week.
The government has received reports that tainted stock broker Ketan Parekh, barred from the capital markets till 2017 over a securities scam, is still active and has taken positions in oil PSUs like ONGC and HPCL.
British oil major BP Plc on Thursday signed an agreement with state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd to negotiate a stake in HPCL's Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion) Bhatinda refinery in Punjab.
Arundhati Bhattacharya, the chairperson of country's largest bank SBI, has been named as the most-powerful woman in business in India by Fortune magazine.
The fall in crude prices has added to the gains.
The divestment process, however, will not be an easy affair as there are multiple stakeholders, including the employee unions, whose concerns will have to be addressed.
On Sunday, angry villagers of Leelala laid their own foundation stone - which had 'aam aadmi' inscribed as the name of the chief guest - still claiming the project was to come up in their village.
Analysts are enthused by BPCL's upstream foray and have re-rated the stock in the past couple of years.
Ajit Mishra, vice president, Research, Religare Broking, answers your queries.
In a resolution passed at its national assembly in Haridwar, the SJM said the Modi government's proposed strategic divestment of PSEs was an "imprudent business decision" and "against national interest".
IOC, BPCL and HPCL on Thursday afternoon stopped ATF supplies to Air India at six airports - Kochi, Pune, Patna, Ranchi, Vizag and Mohali - over payment defaults. AI flights from these places were tanking up from other airports.
Indian Oil Corporation is India's only Fortune 500 company.
