Rajnath Singh to review performance of 16 defence PSUs on September 1

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an annual performance review of 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) here on September 1, with a focus on developing indigenous technologies and boosting defence exports, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

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 — will present dividend cheques to Singh for the government's equity holdings for 2025-26.

During the review, Singh will also release four books, including 'Aatmanirbhar DPSU - A journey of DPSUs towards Self-Reliance', which traces the progress of Defence PSUs towards greater self-reliance.

The other publications are 'DISHA', an initiative aimed at providing students hands-on awareness of defence technologies and modern manufacturing processes; HAL's modernisation roadmap; and HAL's indigenisation roadmap.

The performance of Defence PSUs improved across key financial indicators in 2025-26, according to the ministry.

Their combined turnover stood at ₹1.29 lakh crore, registering a 15.4% increase over the previous financial year.

The DPSUs posted a cumulative profit after tax of ₹23,136 crore in 2025-26, up 15.6% from the previous year.

The annual review comes as the government pushes defence public sector companies to expand indigenous production, develop new technologies and increase their presence in overseas markets.

Defence exports rules eased

Under the revised defence export SOP, stakeholder consultation will no longer be required for exports of non-lethal defence items to most destinations.

“Stakeholder consultation has been dispensed with for exports of all items for international tenders and exhibitions, enabling Indian companies to showcase their products and pursue international opportunities more expeditiously,” the defence ministry said.

The government has also consolidated three existing OGEL SOPs covering major platforms and equipment, parts and components, and intra-company transfer of technology into a single unified SOP.

The validity of OGEL has been extended to three years from two years. The coverage of OGEL has also been expanded from 41 countries to all countries, barring negative or sensitive nations and countries facing UN Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes.