Rajnath Singh Orders Five-Year Roadmap for Defence PSU Self-Reliance

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conducted an annual performance review of 16 defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) at the Defence PSU Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday. During the session, Singh directed the undertakings to establish a practical five-year roadmap to enhance India's defence preparedness and self-reliance, specifically targeting the adoption of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and cyber capabilities to meet the needs of the Indian Armed Forces.

The review highlighted significant financial growth for the 2025–26 financial year, with DPSUs reporting a total turnover of Rs 1.29 lakh crore, a 15.4 per cent increase over the previous year. Cumulative profit after tax reached Rs 23,136 crore, while exports grew by 151.2 per cent. To support this growth, the Department of Defence Production implemented reforms to the Open General Export Licence framework and Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure to streamline international market access.

As part of the proceedings, chairpersons from seven DPSUs, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited, presented dividend cheques to the minister. Singh also released four books detailing DPSU self-reliance and modernization roadmaps. He characterized the transformation of these entities as a national security imperative, urging the companies to develop competitive products to expand India's global defence footprint.