Kolkata: The state govt will list the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) on the stock exchanges, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari announced in the state assembly on Wednesday.According to senior govt officials, WBPDCL will become the first state public sector undertaking (PSU) in Bengal to be listed on the bourses through an IPO, which is expected to be launched within the next few months. “The govt will initiate the process of stock market listing of WBPDCL,” the CM said.WBPDCL has a total installed thermal capacity of 4,925 MW across five operational generating stations. The proposed listing would not amount to privatisation, and the state govt would retain control of the company, officials said. “The character of the company will remain that of a PSU. We are looking at divesting only a small stake, and the details will be worked out after discussions with consultants,” a senior official said.“The intent is to increase the company’s capital base so that it has greater financial capacity to undertake capital expenditure for upcoming power generation and renewable energy projects,” he added.WBPDCL currently has a paid-up capital of around Rs 8,500 crore and authorised capital of Rs 20,000 crore.The official said that WBPDCL is expected to post a net profit of around Rs 800 crore in 2025-26, a sharp improvement over the record net profit of Rs 324 crore reported in 2024-25.
