NLMC expects another ₹5,000 crore from PSU land sales by FY27-end

NEW DELHI: The National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) expects to generate an additional ₹4,000-5,000 crore from the sale of surplus land assets held by central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) by the end of the current fiscal year, over and above land parcels worth around ₹9,000 crore that it has already sold.

Payments for several completed transactions are at different stages of processing, while the corporation is preparing to bring more land parcels to market, its chief executive officer Rohan Chand Thakur said on Tuesday.

The next tranche of monetization is expected to come from surplus land held by CPSEs under the ministries of telecommunications, chemicals and fertilisers, petroleum and petrochemicals, and steel. Enterprises under these ministries have approached NLMC to monetize land assets at various locations, he said.

Thakur was speaking on the sidelines of a pre-bid meeting for the proposed e-auction of a 5.119-acre land parcel owned by HIL (India) Ltd in New Delhi.

The expected proceeds come as the government pursues an ₹80,000 crore target from disinvestment and public-sector asset monetization in fiscal year 2027 (FY27). It has so far realized ₹55,757.29 crore from stake sales in public-sector entities and ₹6,366.93 crore through other asset monetization initiatives, according to data on the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (Dipam) website.

Thakur clarified that NLMC's mandate is limited to monetising surplus land and building assets of CPSEs. This is separate from Dipam's disinvestment programme, which involves selling the government's stakes in public-sector enterprises.

Land auctions

The latest proposed auction involves a 5.119-acre property in the Najafgarh Industrial Area along Rohtak Road, Shivaji Marg, with a reserve price of ₹829.69 crore. Several real estate developers, including Omaxe, M3M and Godrej, have expressed interest in the property, HIL (India) Ltd chairman and managing director Kuldeep Singh said today.

The land has a road frontage of around 140 metres and offers development potential with a floor space index (FSI) of up to 400 under applicable transit-oriented development (TOD) provisions, subject to statutory conditions and approvals. It is currently designated for industrial use, though conversion is permissible under applicable norms and approvals.

The proposed sale is NLMC's third publicly advertised e-auction in the past two months, as the corporation seeks to unlock value from surplus and underutilized land held by public-sector enterprises through competitive bidding.

The latest exercise follows two earlier auctions involving assets of ITI Ltd and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL).

In August, NLMC invited bids for the outright sale of a 44.03-acre land parcel owned by ITI Ltd along Old Madras Road (NH-75) in Krishnarajapuram, Bengaluru.

It also initiated the auction of 459 land parcels belonging to RINL, the corporate entity that operates Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The plots, spread across 93,572.21 square yards, are located in Visakhapatnam.

The RINL auction drew investor interest. In the first phase, held on 12 October, 150 plots were sold, fetching winning bids worth ₹366.33 crore against a combined reserve price of ₹312.48 crore — a premium of 17.23%. The highest bid exceeded ₹1.80 lakh per square yard. The second phase, covering the remaining plots, was subsequently rescheduled.

NLMC, a wholly-owned government company under the administrative control of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in the finance ministry, was established to undertake and facilitate the monetisation of surplus land and building assets of CPSEs and other government agencies.

It works with CPSEs to identify surplus properties, structure transactions and facilitate their sale through transparent and competitive processes.

About the Author

Dhirendra Kumar is a seasoned policy reporter with about 20 years of experience in deep, on-ground reporting across key economic and governance sectors. His work spans finance, public expenditure, disinvestment, public sector enterprises, textiles, trade, consumer affairs, and agriculture, with a strong focus on uncovering structural policy shifts and their real-world impact.<br><br>Kumar has been awarded the Chaudhary Charan Singh Award for Excellence in Journalism in Agricultural Research and Development, recognising his contribution to reporting on critical issues in the farm sector. He has also been a recipient of a fellowship in international trade from the National Press Foundation, which has further strengthened his coverage of global trade dynamics and their implications for India.<br><br>Kumar is known for breaking complex policy developments into clear, accessible stories. His reporting focuses on uncovering under-reported trends, explaining policy shifts, and helping readers stay informed about developments that shape India’s economic landscape.