Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated the state-of-the-art DPSU Bhavan here and oversaw the signing of three major MoUs among defence public sector undertakings in a push to the spirit of collaboration and self-reliance.
The minister also felicitated four defence PSUs for being granted Miniratna status.
As part of the event, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) signed MoUs with Yantra India Limited (YIL) to support its modernisation efforts and establish a 10,000-ton Forging Press facility, a crucial step towards reducing import dependence for aluminium alloys used in the defence and aerospace sectors. HAL has committed an interest-free advance of Rs 435 crore to YIL, while BDL will provide a sustained workload of up to 3,000 metric tonnes over ten years.
The third MoU was signed for the creation of a Metal Bank at MIDHANI to ensure the uninterrupted availability of critical raw materials for defence projects of national importance.
The Defence Minister also unveiled a series of R&D initiatives, including the HAL R&D Manual, aimed at strengthening the R&D ecosystem through digitisation, intellectual property generation and collaboration with Indian academia. The R&D Roadmap of DPSUs integrates ongoing initiatives and future strategies, marking a shift from licensed production to indigenous design and development, a decisive step towards technological self-sufficiency in defence.
In a major step towards sustainable defence manufacturing, Rajnath Singh launched SWAYAM - Sustainable and Green Defence Manufacturing, a comprehensive compendium that captures the green transition across DPSUs. Anchored in the Comprehensive Energy Efficiency Action Plan (CEEAP) 2023, SWAYAM details efforts to enhance energy efficiency, expand renewable energy adoption, and reduce carbon emissions across the defence production ecosystem. Supported by digital tools like the SWARNA Dashboard and DPSU Efficiency Index, the initiative reflects the government's commitment to combining sustainability with self-reliance.
The minister chaired a comprehensive review meeting of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) at the newly inaugurated DPSU Bhawan, World Trade Centre, Naoroji Nagar.
The meeting witnessed the felicitation of four DPSUs - Munitions India Limited (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), India Optel Limited (IOL), and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on being granted Miniratna (Category-I) status.
The Defence Minister said that the newly granted Miniratna status to these four DPSUs will empower them to undertake capacity expansion, modernisation and explore new ventures & collaborations, including joint ventures and mergers with both public & private sector partners.
Addressing the gathering, he commended the DPSUs for their steadfast contribution to strengthening India's defence manufacturing ecosystem and advancing the vision of a self-reliant India. "All our 16 DPSUs are serving as strong pillars of the country's self-reliance. Their excellent performance in operations like Operation Sindoor testifies to the reliability and capability of our indigenous platforms," he underlined, congratulating the organisations for their continued dedication and excellence.
Highlighting the sector's remarkable performance, Rajnath Singh underlined that in the year 2024-25, India achieved defence production worth Rs 1.51 lakh crore, with DPSUs contributing 71.6 per cent of the total. Defence exports reached Rs 6,695 crore, underscoring global confidence in India's indigenous systems. "This clearly indicates that 'Made in India' defence products are gaining global respect," he added.
Emphasising the need to sustain this momentum, Raksha Mantri urged all DPSUs to focus on rapid indigenisation of critical technologies, holistic R&D, product quality enhancement, timely deliveries and adoption of a strategic approach to increase exports. He directed DPSUs to define clear indigenisation and R&D roadmaps with measurable milestones to be presented at the next review meeting. "On behalf of the Government, I assure you that wherever special intervention or assistance is required, it will be provided promptly," he underlined.
The Raksha Mantri also felicitated IOL and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for achieving 100 per cent green energy usage. IOL has switched completely to renewable energy from September 2025, reducing 8,669 tonnes of CO2 emissions and saving Rs 26.36 lakh in the first quarter of FY 2025-26. BEL, a Navratna DPSU, became the first to achieve the RE100 milestone in January 2025, bringing down its Scope-2 emissions from 15,000 metric tonnes to absolute zero, a significant leap toward its Net Zero goals.
(With inputs from IANS)
