• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 450-km natural gas pipeline between Kochi and Mangaluru in a virtual event on January 5. 

• The pipeline has been built by Gail (India) Ltd.

• The 450 km-long pipeline will carry natural gas from Kochi in Kerala through Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts to Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.

• It has a transportation capacity of 12 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD). 

• The total cost of the project is about Rs 3,000 crore and its construction created over 12 lakh man-days of employment.

• The pipeline is a landmark example of project execution with active support of governments of Kerala and Karnataka.

• Officials said the pipeline will bring convenient and uninterrupted supply of environment friendly and affordable fuel in the form of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to households, commercial units and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) across different city gas distribution (CGD) areas in different geographical areas.

• The pipeline will offer clean industrial fuel and feedstock for petrochemical and fertilized sectors and provide an opportunity for multiple gas-based industries to emerge, thus bringing about socio-economic benefits to the people of these states and creating direct and indirect job opportunities. 

• The consumption of cleaner fuel will help in improving air quality by curbing air pollution.

• The event also marks an important milestone towards the creation of ‘One Nation, One Gas Grid’.

GAIL (India) Limited

• GAIL (India) Limited came into existence on August 16, 1984 under the ministry of petroleum & natural gas. 

• The company was initially given the responsibility of construction, operation and  maintenance of the Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur (HVJ) pipeline project. It was one of the largest cross-country natural gas pipeline projects in the world.

• After having started as a gas transmission company during the late eighties, GAIL has grown organically to become an integrated energy major, having presence in the entire gas value chain. 

• Today, GAIL is India’s flagship natural gas transmission and marketing company which manages over two third of gas transmission and half of the natural gas marketed in India.

• With a turnover of $8.9 billion (Rs 56,742 crore) GAIL (India) Limited is ranked among the top gas utilities in Asia. 

• GAIL was granted Navratna status in 1997 and has become Maharatna since 2013, the highest status conferred to any PSU.

What is Maharatna status?

• The government has granted enhanced powers to the boards of the profit-making enterprises under various schemes like Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna.

• The main objective of the Maharatna scheme, which was introduced in 2010, is to empower mega Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) to expand their operations and emerge as global giants.

• The Maharatna scheme empowers big sized CPSEs to expand their operations and emerge as global giants. 

Eligibility criteria for grant of Maharatna status

The CPSEs meeting the following eligibility criteria are considered for Maharatna status:

a) Having Navratna status.

b) Listed on Indian stock exchange with minimum prescribed public shareholding under SEBI regulations.

c) An average annual turnover of more than Rs 25,000 crore during the last three years.

d) An average annual net worth of more than Rs 15,000 crore during the last three years.

e) An average annual net profit after tax of more than Rs 5,000 crore during the last three years.

f) Should have significant global presence/international operations.

Currently, there are ten Maharatna CPSEs. 

They are:

1) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

2) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited

3) Coal India Limited

4) GAIL India Limited

5) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited

6) Indian Oil Corporation Limited

7) NTPC Limited

8) Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited

9) Power Grid Corporation of India Limited

10) Steel Authority of India Limited. 

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