Numaligarh Refinery Accorded Prestigious ‘Navratna’ Status; Assam CM Thanks Centre

Guwahati: The Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has been accorded prestigious ‘Navratna’ status, elevating it from Miniratna. This was announced by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri. NRL now becomes the 27th Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) to be accorded the status.

Taking to platform ‘X’, Hardeep Singh Puri wrote, “Delighted and proud to share that under the leadership of Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji, Numaligarh Refinery Ltd has been accorded Navratna status. This recognises NRL’s strong performance and its ambitious growth path, from the ongoing NREP refinery expansion to the recently inaugurated ABEPL bamboo based 2G bioethanol plant that is driving energy security and green growth from Assam and the North East.”

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reposing faith in the state’s oil and gas sector, as the Centre granted ‘Navratna’ status to Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) in Golaghat.

“I am grateful to Adarniya Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for his faith in Assam’s oil & gas sector and his guidance in taking it forward. This milestone achievement would not have been possible without the unstinted support of Hon’ble Union Minister Shri @HardeepSPuri ji,” CM Sarma said in a post on ‘X’.

“Not too long ago, it was on the verge of losing its PSU status, but with the Union Govt’s support, we reposed our faith in the enterprise’s ability & enhanced our stake in it and within 4 years it has become a Navratna,” the CM said in another post.

On the other hand, Bharat Petroleum, in a post on ‘X’, said, “Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has proudly been elevated from Miniratna to prestigious Navratna status, a milestone backed by key partners Government of Assam, OIL and EIL in enhancing India’s energy security.”

“This achievement empowers NRL with greater autonomy to expand refining capacity, develop green initiatives like the bamboo-based 2G bioethanol plant, and pursue new petrochemical projects driving sustainable growth in Assam and the North-East,” it added.

The 3 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) capacity petroleum refinery is situated in Golaghat district’s Numaligarh. NRL’s majority shareholder is Oil India Ltd with 69.63 per cent holding, while the Assam government has 26 per cent and Engineers India Ltd 4.37 per cent.