Government kickstarts IDBI Bank's biggest-ever sale
The Indian government is preparing to invite financial bids to sell a 60.72% stake in IDBI Bank, handing over full management control to whoever wins.
Both the Centre and LIC are putting up their shares, and after regulatory checks and approvals, the divestment process is now moving forward.
Why does this matter?
This is one of India's largest state-backed bank divestments in decades—worth about ₹62,000 crore—and could shake up the entire banking scene.
Big names like Fairfax and Kotak Mahindra Bank are leading the race, with final bids expected by the end of December 2025 or early January 2026 and results expected by March-end 2026.
If it goes through smoothly, expect more public banks to follow suit, meaning less government control and (hopefully) better competition for everyone.