Explained: How PSUs became the biggest laggards on Indian bourses

Government companies' numbers look even worse if State Bank of India is excluded. SBI has been an outperformer with 18.4 per cent annualised growth in market capitalisation in last three-years.

With the share price of ONGC, one of India’s most valued public sector undertakings (PSUs) till recently, falling to a 15-year low, the focus has shifted to central government-owned firms which have become some the biggest laggards on the Indian bourses.  

The combined market capitalisation of 62 PSUs, at around Rs 15.4 trillion, is the lowest in nearly four years and excluding State Bank of India, their market capitalisation is the lowest since March 2009 (see chart).

The PSUs’ market capitalisation is down 17.6 per cent in the current fiscal year against 4.3 per cent rise in the benchmark NSE