The NITI Aayog is working on a fresh list of state-owned firms that can be sold off, its CEO Amitabh Kant said on Wednesday.

“NITI Aayog has already recommended 40 PSUs for privatisation and has prepared four reports. We are working on a fifth report,” he told reporters, adding that the thinktank will also prepare sixth and seventh reports on the issue.

With the government keen on strategic sale of sick and loss-making state-owned firms, NITI Aayog was earlier entrusted with the task of reviewing the functioning of PSUs and suggesting those that can be privatised. The Aayog has already recommended strategic divestment of 40 sick public sector units, including Air India.

However, strategic stake sale in PSUs is still in the process. The Centre hopes to sell off Air India in 2018-19.

Kant said the process is now in a very advanced stage. He said disinvestment has to be done in a very transparent manner and transaction advisors have to be appointed.

The government expects to raise ₹80,000 crore from PSU disinvestment in the next fiscal, lower than ₹1 lakh crore raised this financial year.

The Budget had set the target of disinvestment in public sector units at ₹72,500 crore.

This included ₹46,500 crore as disinvestment of CPSEs, ₹15,000 crore from strategic disinvestment and ₹11,000 crore from listing of insurance companies.

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