BJP MP Anurag Thakur attended the 11th India PSU Awards 2026, organised by Governance Now, on Friday, 29 May 2026, and delivered an address celebrating a decade of transformation in India's Public Sector Undertakings. The event recognised excellence in digital transformation, innovation, cybersecurity, and technology-driven governance across central public sector enterprises.

Context

Speaking at the ceremony, Thakur described the journey of India's PSUs as the story of a 'New India — confident, resilient, innovative, and self-reliant.' He recalled that before 2014, public sector companies were widely dismissed as 'white elephants,' burdened by inefficiency and dependent on state support. He argued that the intervening decade had fundamentally altered that perception.

Thakur credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for reimagining PSUs as 'globally competitive, professionally managed, technology-driven institutions.' The remarks were delivered before an audience that included PSU managements and technology sector participants gathered to receive and witness the annual awards.

Policy Backdrop

The transformation Thakur referenced has unfolded through a series of overlapping policy initiatives. The Digital India programme, launched in 2015, mandated technology integration across central public sector enterprises, pushing them toward e-governance, digitised services, and cybersecurity investment. The strategic disinvestment policy, revised in 2016-17, sought to monetise non-core PSU assets and sharpen operational focus.

The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, announced in May 2020, gave PSU reform a sharper strategic edge: public sector companies in manufacturing and technology were directed to reduce import dependence and build domestic supply chains. More recently, the Viksit Bharat vision — targeting a developed India by 2047 — has framed PSU performance as a measurable pillar of national progress, linking corporate balance sheets to a long-term civilisational goal.

Taken together, these programmes represent a deliberate shift in the government's philosophy toward PSUs: away from social-welfare mandates and toward commercial viability, profitability targets, and technology modernisation.

Stakeholders and Impact

The India PSU Awards platform, run by Governance Now, has become an annual barometer of how public sector enterprises measure themselves against digital and governance benchmarks. By recognising achievements in cybersecurity, digital governance, and innovation, the awards reflect the government's emphasis on outcome-based accountability rather than input-based oversight.

PSU managements across sectors — from energy and defence to banking and infrastructure — participate in such forums to signal modernisation credentials to investors, policymakers, and the public. Technology vendors supplying digital infrastructure to these enterprises also have a direct stake in the narrative of PSU competitiveness, as government contracts in this space are substantial.

For workers and communities dependent on PSU employment, the shift toward commercial viability has been a double-edged development: efficiency gains have improved institutional health, but the parallel disinvestment drive has raised questions about job security in units flagged for privatisation.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the next Union Budget and its allocations for PSU capital expenditure and technology upgradation, which will test whether the political rhetoric of transformation is matched by fiscal commitment. Parliamentary committee reviews of disinvestment targets during the monsoon session are also expected to scrutinise the pace and scope of PSU restructuring.

As India positions its public sector as a vehicle for both Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat, the credibility of that positioning will increasingly depend on verifiable performance data — the kind that events like the India PSU Awards are designed to surface and celebrate.