Rajnath asks Defence PSUs to enhance production

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today conducted a review of the performance of eight public sector undertakings (PSUs) controlled by the Defence Ministry.

A statement of the ministry said that Singh, citing the prevailing geopolitical scenario and the recent developments with Pakistan, directed the PSU’s to enhance their production with latest technologies focusing more on research and development.

He lauded the industry for developing products that demonstrated India’s defence preparedness during Operation Sindoor.

Singh said, “The government remains committed to strengthening the defence industrial base and enhancing the competitiveness of the defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs).”

At the meeting, Secretary Defence Production Sanjeev Kumar presented the growth statistics of the industry and the PSUs. The value of defence production is poised to be more than Rs 1,40,000 crore for Financial Year 2024-25 and out of this, around 78 per cent would be contributed by PSUs, he added.

The meeting was attended by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and BEML Limited.

The companies also paid and interim dividend on equity shares held by the government for Rs 2,138 crore for the Financial Year 2024-25.