Rajnath Singh to Personally Review 16 Defence PSUs’ Progress on Reforms and Exports
Rajnath Singh will chair a key review of 16 Defence PSUs on Nov 10, assessing reforms, exports, and innovation goals.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will conduct the annual performance review of India's 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) on November 10, 2025, in New Delhi, focusing on a projected ₹32,766 crore investment in research and development over the next five years to bolster indigenous military hardware production. This marks a doubling of the ₹30,952 crore spent on R&D in the past decade, with the push aligning with Singh's declaration of 2025 as the 'Year of Reforms' to prioritise new technology development, export growth, and indigenisation.
The 16 DPSUs—including nine established ones like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and Bharat Dynamics Limited, plus seven newer entities formed from the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board—have prepared detailed five-year R&D roadmaps, emphasising increased manpower and broader participation, including over ₹3,000 crore from the new DPSUs and ₹1,300 crore from defence shipyards.
During the high-level meeting, Singh will release the DPSUs' five-year R&D plan, a compilation of past design and development projects, HAL's new flexible R&D manual for faster risk assessment and allocation, and 'Swayam'—the first comprehensive report on renewable energy efficiency practices across all 16 DPSUs under the Department of Defence Production. The review comes amid strong 2024-25 performance, with DPSUs achieving a record turnover of ₹1.08 lakh crore—a 15.4 percent increase—and post-tax profits of ₹20,021 crore, up 19.5 percent from the previous year.
This initiative builds on broader 2025 reforms, including integrated theatre commands, streamlined procurement, and enhanced focus on emerging technologies like AI and hypersonics, aimed at transforming the armed forces into a combat-ready, self-reliant entity. Singh has exhorted DPSUs to accelerate innovation to reduce import dependence and boost exports, which hit ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25.
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As India positions itself as a global defence manufacturing hub, the November 10 review underscores a strategic shift toward greater public-private collaboration and resource optimisation, ensuring the DPSUs play a pivotal role in national security and economic growth amid evolving geopolitical challenges.
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