BPCL shares drop over 4 pc; co loses 5,300 cr in m-cap

Shares of fuel retailer BPCL fell over 4 per cent on Monday after reports that the government has cleared the way for its privatisation.

On the BSE, the stock declined 4.80 per cent to close at Rs 490.45.

The stock fell 5.17 per cent to settle at Rs 488.90 on the NSE.

The company's market capitalisation declined by about Rs 5,368.91 crore at Rs 1,06,391 crore.

Ahead of a proposed move to fully privatise state-owned fuel retailer Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL), the government has repealed the legislation that had nationalised the company, doing away with the need to seek Parliament nod before selling it off to private and foreign firms.

Keen to get multi-nationals in domestic fuel retailing to boost competition, the government is mulling selling most of its 53.3 per cent stake in BPCL to a strategic partner.

BPCL offers attractive buy for companies ranging from Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia to French energy giant Total SA which are vying to enter the world's fastest-growing fuel retail market. It will not only give them 34 million-tonne in refining capacity, but also access to about 25 per cent share of India's fuel marketing.