Sipu Jha
Shares of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) made a strong debut on the stock exchanges on Monday, nearly doubling from their issue price after the company’s Rs 1,071 crore initial public offering drew overwhelming investor demand.The stock listed at Rs 45 on the NSE, a premium of 95.6% over the issue price of Rs 23 and at Rs 45.21 on the BSE, marking a gain of 96.6%. Ahead of listing, the company was valued at around Rs 10,711 crore.The IPO, which was open for subscription from January 9 to January 13, was entirely an offer for sale by promoter Coal India Limited and did not involve any fresh capital raise. Proceeds from the issue went to the promoter, while public shareholding increased following the listing.Investor interest in the issue was exceptionally strong, with the IPO subscribed 147 times overall. Demand was high across all categories, led by non-institutional investors, while qualified institutional buyers also oversubscribed their portion multiple times. Retail participation was also strong.Market participants had widely expected a strong listing, supported by high grey market premiums and the company’s strategic role in India’s steel value chain. Analysts said that the debut reflected confidence in Bharat Coking Coal’s dominant position in the domestic coking coal segment.Gaurav Garg, research analyst at Lemon Markets Desk, said the response to the issue highlighted investor belief in the company’s long-term prospects. “The strong response to the Bharat Coking Coal IPO underscores investor confidence in the company’s monopolistic position in India’s coking coal segment and its long-term demand visibility,” he said.Garg added that the anchor book provided early validation, while heavy non-institutional participation signalled expectations of listing gains.Bharat Coking Coal is India’s largest producer of coking coal and the only significant domestic supplier of prime coking coal, a key raw material for steel production. Incorporated in 1972, the company operates 34 mines across the Jharia coalfields in Jharkhand and the Raniganj coalfields in West Bengal, comprising both underground and opencast operations. Its key customers include steel producers and power companies.As of April 2024, the company’s estimated coking coal reserves stood at about 7.91 billion tonnes, accounting for nearly 21.5% of India’s total coking coal resources. In FY25, Bharat Coking Coal produced around 58.5% of the country’s domestic coking coal output.The company has steadily ramped up production in recent years. Coal output increased from 30.5 million tonnes in FY22 to about 40.5 million tonnes in FY25, supported by mine expansions, the reopening of discontinued underground mines and efficiency improvements at coal washeries.On the financial front, Bharat Coking Coal reported revenue of Rs 14,401–14,402 crore and a profit after tax of Rs 1,240 crore in FY25. While earnings have seen some volatility due to fluctuations in coal prices and costs, the company remains debt-free and cash-generative. As of September 2025, it had total assets of Rs 18,711 crore and a net worth of Rs 5,831 crore.Following the listing, Coal India’s shareholding in Bharat Coking Coal has reduced to about 90% from 100%, improving the public float while retaining government control. As a wholly owned subsidiary earlier, BCCL has benefited from Coal India’s technical expertise, financial strength and operational scale.Analysts see the stock as a long-term play linked to India’s infrastructure push and growth in steel demand, though they caution that near-term performance will depend on broader market conditions and trends in coal pricing.“The scarcity value of a pure-play coking coal producer and steady demand from the steel sector support favourable secondary market sentiment,” Garg said. He added that investors should track earnings consistency over time.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)
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