- Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited, NHPC Limited, RailTel Corporation of India Limited, and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited were granted ‘Navratna’ status by the Narendra Modi government.
- RailTel Corporation of India has become the 22nd ‘Navratna’, followed by Solar Energy Corporation of India 23rd, NHPC 24th, and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam 25th ‘Navratna’ in India.
- Shimla-based SJVN is a listed company with the following shareholding pattern: 55% stake held by the government of India, 26.85% by the government of Himachal Pradesh, and the remaining 18.15% by the public.
- NHPC, a Faridabad based company, is under the Ministry of Power.
- It is India’s largest hydropower development organization, capable of undertaking a range of activities from conceptualization of hydropower projects to their commissioning.
- RailTel is a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) under the Ministry of Railways.
- Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) is a nodal agency of the Central Government for auction of renewable energy projects.
Navratna status
- The Government of India grants Navratna status to top-ranked public sector undertakings (PSUs).
- This status allows organisations to make large investments of up to Rs 1,000 crore without approval from the Centre.
- These companies have the freedom to invest up to 30% of their total assets within a year, provided it is less than ₹1,000 crore.
- They can also form joint ventures, tie-ups, and set up subsidiaries abroad.
- For a company to be granted Navratna status, it must already have Miniratna Category I status and be listed under Schedule A of CPSEs.