Rajnath Singh on Tuesday reviewed the annual performance of all 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), calling for greater focus on timely delivery, self-reliance, defence exports, technological advancement and globally competitive quality.
The review meeting, held in New Delhi in the presence of MOS Sanjay Seth, assessed the performance, key achievements and future roadmap of the DPSUs. Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and the Chairmen and Managing Directors of the 16 DPSUs briefed the Defence Minister on developments across indigenous production, advanced defence technologies, exports, supply-chain strengthening and execution of major projects.
Lauding the contribution of the DPSUs to India’s defence industrial ecosystem, Singh said their performance was central to advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and building a resilient indigenous defence manufacturing base.
India recorded defence production worth approximately ₹1.8 lakh crore in FY 2025–26, with DPSUs accounting for around ₹1.29 lakh crore, he noted, describing the figures as a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
Singh called upon the DPSUs to further reduce import dependence, strengthen indigenous capabilities and improve execution timelines. He also emphasised the need to convert investments in research and development into advanced technologies, intellectual property, prototypes and operationally deployable products.
The Defence Minister stressed that R&D outcomes should be measured by technological capability rather than expenditure alone, urging DPSUs to identify niche areas where India can emerge as a global technology leader.
Highlighting the lessons emerging from recent conflicts, Singh said assured supply chains, surge production capacity, availability of critical spares, rapid repair capabilities and the ability to sustain manufacturing during prolonged conflicts were critical to national security.
“The progress of DPSUs is not merely an economic or industrial necessity; it is a national security imperative,” Singh said.
He further called for increased productivity through capital expenditure, deeper engagement with start-ups and MSMEs, expansion into new export markets and sustained efforts to bring Indian defence products on par with global quality benchmarks.
Emphasising the government’s ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision, Singh said the DPSUs must aspire to become globally competitive defence enterprises.
“We must resolve to transform all DPSUs into global giants,” the Raksha Mantri said.
₹3,951 Crore Dividend:
During the meeting, the CMDs of seven DPSUs — Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), BEML and MIDHANI — presented dividend cheques totalling ₹3,951 crore towards the Government’s equity share for FY 2025–26.
Focus on Indigenisation and Future Capabilities:
Singh also released four publications highlighting the ongoing efforts to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities.
These included ‘Aatmanirbhar DPSU – A Journey of DPSUs Towards Self-Reliance’, outlining a five-year roadmap for indigenisation, new products and manufacturing processes; DISHA, aimed at facilitating interaction between defence industries and students and providing young minds with hands-on exposure to defence technologies and modern manufacturing; and two publications detailing the modernisation and indigenisation roadmaps of HAL.
The HAL roadmaps focus on transforming the aerospace major into a future-ready enterprise and achieving greater self-reliance in the aerospace and defence sector.
The annual review underlined the government’s continued push to position DPSUs as key drivers of indigenous defence production, technological innovation, export growth and strategic industrial capability, while strengthening India’s preparedness to meet long-term national security requirements.
