Numaligarh Refinery becomes India’s 27th Navratna CPSE

India’s finance minister has approved the upgrade of Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) to Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) status, making it the 27th company to join the category, the government said on [day].

NRL, which operates under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, reported a turnover of ₹25,147 crore and a net profit of ₹1,608 crore in FY24-25. Navratna status grants greater financial and operational autonomy, enabling state-run companies to undertake larger investment decisions without government approval.

Located in Golaghat district of Assam, NRL is a subsidiary of Oil India Ltd. The refinery was originally part of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) before its ownership structure was revised. Commissioned in 1999, the refinery began commercial production in October 2000.

NRL currently has a refining capacity of 3 million tonnes per year, and the government had earlier approved plans to triple its capacity to 9 million tonnes per year, a project aimed at meeting rising fuel demand in India’s northeast and strengthening energy infrastructure in the region.

The company is implementing a major expansion project, including a crude oil pipeline from Odisha to Assam and product pipeline infrastructure across the northeast. The upgrade to Navratna status is expected to support these investments by providing the company with greater operational flexibility.

With this elevation, NRL joins other major state-run firms with enhanced decision-making powers on joint ventures, investments and restructuring initiatives. The government has been reviewing the autonomy framework for state enterprises as part of broader reforms to improve efficiency and competitiveness across the public sector.