SAIL and BHEL Risk Losing Prestigious Maharatna Status

RJ Kesari Desk: The Ministry of Heavy Industries and the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) are closely monitoring two of India’s most prominent Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).

Due to a sustained downturn in operational revenue and financial margins over consecutive fiscal quarters, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) are at risk of losing their coveted Maharatna Status.

Stripping Financial Autonomy and Corporate Decision Margins

Downgrading these firms to "Navratna" status would automatically restrict their autonomous board-level spending limits.

Currently, Maharatna companies can independently greenlight investments up to ₹5,000 crore without explicit cabinet-level approvals, whereas Navratna status scales that ceiling down to ₹1,000 crore.

Industry insiders reveal that high raw material overheads and slow project execution cycles have impacted their PSU financial performance, prompting structural reviews to restore shareholder value.