Promoters bag half of dividends

Despite dismal earnings growth in FY25, Indian companies handed out a record ₹4.9 trillion in dividends—the highest in at least a decade—with promoters pocketing more than half.

- Mayur Bhalerao

According to a Mint analysis of 496 companies from the BSE 500, based on Capitaline data (which includes both audited and unaudited figures, along with proposed dividends), promoters across public, private and multinational corporations collectively received ₹2.5 trillion, or 51.5% of the dividends declared.

Of this, private-sector promoters took home ₹1.34 trillion (with a 53% share), a 36% rise from the previous year. Foreign parents of MNCs mopped up 20% more. The government, as a promoter of public sector undertakings (PSUs), meanwhile, saw its dividend haul from PSUs dip 4%.

The trend of promoters claiming a lion's share is not surprising, though. In FY24, they took home 2.1 trillion (48.7% of total dividends), while in FY23, their share was even higher at ₹2.2 trillion (53.6%).