BHEL's revenue from the power sector witnessed a steep decline at Rs 4,862.35 crore during the reporting quarter from Rs 7,319.59 crore in the corresponding year-ago period.

\"There is need to spread more awareness about OFS so that we could see more subscription from retail investors,\" National Stock Exchange executive Ravi Varanasi said.

Government data shows the deficit was 95.2 per cent during the same period a year ago.

The government plans to sell 315.8 million shares in Coal India on Friday with an option to sell another 315.8 million in the auction.

The Finance Minister said that signs of a turnaround in the manufacturing sector indicate that the government will likely meet its fiscal deficit target of 4.1% of GDP in FY15.

\"Five per cent of the shares of PFC could be sold next week,\" a senior finance ministry official said on Friday, declining to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Business sentiment improved for the fifth quarter running despite little evidence of better times in the offing, reveals the Business Today-C fore Business Confidence Survey.

A total of Rs 51,422 cr was raised by private sector companies from debt on a private placement basis during April-Sept period of 2013-14, according to latest report.

The decision assumes significance following enthusiastic response from retail investors in the stake sale in steel major SAIL, which fetched the govt Rs 1,715 cr.

According to Prime Database, as many as 25 companies collectively mopped up a meagre Rs 1,019 crore through IPOs during the April-September period of the FY15.

The sale of shares, worth about Rs 20.65 crore, of the steel maker at the current market price of Rs 77.15 a piece would fetch the exchequer around Rs 1,600 crore.

There are about half a dozen companies which are managed by Indian Railways. These include RITES, IRCON, IRFC, IRCTC, and RailTel Corporation.

The target includes Rs 43,425 crore from selling stake in PSUs and another Rs 15,000 crore from sale of residual stake in the erstwhile government companies, as per the Budget 2014-15 document.

State-owned Power Finance Corp has received shareholders' approval for raising up to Rs 44,000 crore through issue of securities in the current financial year.

The government in its new Budget is expected to retain the disinvestment target at roughly the same level of Rs 36,925 crore proposed in the interim Budget for 2014-15.

Launched by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with an aim at divesting government stake in the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE), the ETF has gained from the huge rise in stock prices ever since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power.

\"Though ETF is a very popular (investment vehicle) globally, it is at a nascent stage in India. Also, equity ETFs are yet to gain traction here. Through the CPSE-ETF, the Government is trying to make this product popular,\" Alok Tandon, Joint Secretary, Disinvestment Department, told reporters at the launch here.

The PSU had on Tuesday posted over 37 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 1,534.31 crore for the October-December period of this financial year. It also announced an interim dividend of about Rs 856 crore to the government.

One of the biggest problems is attracting global players, who still do not find India's power sector attractive. The second phase of allocation of ultra mega power plants saw only domestic bidders.

In the July-September period of 2013-14, Power Finance Corp saw its total income climb to Rs 5,336.96 crore, according to a regulatory filing. The PSU had reported a total income of Rs 4,191.16 crore in the same period a year ago.