Rajnath Singh to review annual performance of defence PSUs

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will review the annual performance of the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in the national capital on Monday. During the event, a compilation of projects relating to Design and Development and Research and Development carried out over the last 10 years, along with the plan for the next five years, will be released.

In addition, the new R&D Manual of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, aimed at providing flexibility, speed, risk assessment, and autonomy in R&D project allocation, will be unveiled. The Defence Minister will also release a report on renewable energy, titled ‘Swayam’. This report is the first-ever attempt made under the aegis of Department of Defence Production to compile the energy efficiency practices of all 16 DPSUs.

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In a statement issued here, the Ministry of Defence said that the Defence Minister had declared 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’, underscoring the importance of the development of new technology by DPSUs and the need for enhancing exports and indigenisation. To achieve this objective, he exhorted them to increase their investment and manpower for R&D.

Since then, all the DPSUs have prepared their R&D roadmap for the next five years. Over the last 10 years, a total sum of Rs 30,952 crore has been invested in R&D by the 16 DPSUs. The pace of R&D is now proposed to be doubled, with projected expenditure of Rs 32,766 crore over the next five years. While most of the R&D investment over the last 10 years was made by older DPSUs — notably Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited, and Bharat Dynamics Limited — the thrust on R&D is now spread across all DPSUs.

Over the next five years, the seven new DPSUs formed after the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board will invest over Rs 3,000 crore in R&D, while the defence shipyards have planned an investment of over Rs 1,300 crore.

The MoD further stated that the performance of DPSUs in 2024-25 has been commendable. The total turnover stood at Rs 1.08 lakh crore, up 15.4% from that in 2023-24. The DPSUs recorded a cumulative Profit After Tax of Rs 20,021 crore in 2024-25, registering a growth of 19.5% over the previous year. Remarkably, in 2024-25, DPSUs achieved an increase of 51% in exports over the previous Financial Year. The event will witness felicitations to various DPSUs for their notable achievements in different areas and the exchange of significant MoUs.