New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- The Central government may initiate the sale of its stake in some small state-owned fertilizer companies in the first half of FY26, two people aware of the matter said.

The process may begin in Q1-Q2 of FY26, depending upon market conditions and the consensus of stakeholders, the people said.

"With recent policy measures reducing the country's dependence on imports, it could be the right time for the Centre to offload its stake in some state-owned companies, particularly the smaller ones," one person said, asking not to be identified.

Niti Aayog had identified eight public sector fertilizer companies for a proposed strategic sale in 2022. However, the Centre put the plan on hold the following year as it prioritise...