IRFC OFS raises ₹2,084 crore amid strong investor demand for PSU stake sales

The Centre's Offer for Sale (OFS) in Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) received a strong response from investors, helping the government raise an estimated ₹2,084 crore and prompting it to exercise the greenshoe option.

Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary said on Thursday that 22.88 crore shares were sold to minority shareholders over the two-day offering.

The government had announced the OFS on June 23, initially offering a 1% stake in IRFC, with an additional 1% available through a greenshoe option. While institutional investors bid on the first day of the issue, retail investors participated on Thursday.

The non-retail portion of the IRFC OFS was oversubscribed 1.86 times, encouraging the government to increase the size of the offering through the greenshoe option. At the end of the March quarter, the Centre held an 84.65% stake in the railway finance company.

Part of wider disinvestment drive

The successful transaction comes amid a renewed push by the government to monetise stakes in listed public sector enterprises. Since May, the Centre has mobilised more than ₹16,000 crore through OFSs in companies such as Coal India, Central Bank of India, NLC India, NHPC and General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC).

Recent PSU stake sales have generally attracted robust demand from both institutional and retail investors, aided by discounts to prevailing market prices. In several cases this year, the government has exercised the greenshoe option, reflecting healthy investor appetite for public sector offerings.

IRFC, a Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Railways, serves as the dedicated financing arm of Indian Railways and plays a key role in funding railway infrastructure projects and rolling stock acquisitions.

The government has set a disinvestment target of ₹80,000 crore for FY27. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier indicated that divestment of central public sector enterprises would remain a key focus area, suggesting more stake sales could follow in the months ahead.

Sources had earlier this week, told CNBC-TV18 that an OFS in Cochin Shipyard is also under consideration.