New Delhi, Feb 23 (NationPress) On Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the second phase of the Central ministries and public sector entities' asset monetisation initiative, known as the 'National Monetisation Pipeline 2.0 (NMP 2.0)', projecting a monetisation potential of Rs 16.72 lakh crore over the upcoming five financial years.

This new phase has been crafted by NITI Aayog in collaboration with infrastructure-focused ministries, following the directive for the ‘Asset Monetisation Plan 2025-30’ as outlined in the Union Budget 2025-26.

The NMP 2.0 anticipates an overall monetisation capacity of Rs 16.72 lakh crore, which includes a private sector investment of Rs 5.8 lakh crore from the asset monetisation initiatives of Central ministries and public sector entities over the five-year duration spanning FY 2026 to FY 2030.

Minister Sitharaman emphasized that the ambitious five-year asset monetisation goal for NMP 2.0 is more than 2.6 times the target set under NMP 1.0. She urged Ministries and Departments to exceed the established targets through proactive measures.

The sectors targeted in the monetisation strategy encompass highways (including MMLPs and ropeways), railways, power, petroleum and natural gas, civil aviation, ports, warehousing and storage, urban infrastructure, coal, mines, telecommunications, and tourism.

The launch of NMP 2.0 was attended by the CEO of NITI Aayog and various Secretaries from the infrastructure ministries involved in the pipeline, including those from Road Transport and Highways, Railways, Power, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Civil Aviation, and others.

In her remarks, the Finance Minister commended all government ministries and NITI Aayog for achieving nearly 90% of the Rs 6 lakh crore target set for four years during the implementation of NMP 1.0.

Sitharaman highlighted that NMP 2.0 aligns with the goal of achieving Viksit Bharat through fast-tracked infrastructure growth and noted its capacity to enhance India’s economic momentum.

She remarked that NMP 1.0 was pioneering as a large-scale pipeline, and the insights gained should be utilized in NMP 2.0. She stressed that the experiences from NMP 1.0 will guide efforts to optimize resources and opportunities in a timely manner. She encouraged departments to prioritize process simplification and standardization to ensure a smooth monetisation experience.

Highlighting the importance of asset monetisation, the Finance Minister stated that NMP promotes the recycling of productive public assets, unlocking resources for reinvestment in new projects and capital expenditure. This strategy aids in efficient fund mobilization for CAPEX in public assets while reducing the government's budgetary burden.

NMP 2.0 is the result of insights, feedback, and experiences gathered through extensive stakeholder consultations led by NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Finance, and respective line ministries. Numerous discussions have been held with stakeholders, marking this as a comprehensive governmental initiative, as noted in an official statement.