New Delhi, Nov 10 (NationPress) The Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, is set to conduct the annual performance assessment of the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in New Delhi today.

Previously, the Defence Minister announced 2025 as the 'Year of Reforms,' highlighting the necessity for technological advancement within DPSUs, as well as an emphasis on boosting exports and indigenisation.

To fulfill these goals, he urged them to enhance their investment and human resources for Research and Development (R&D).

“Since that announcement, all DPSUs have developed their R&D strategies for the upcoming five years. Over the past decade, a total of Rs 30,952 crore has been allocated for R&D by the 16 DPSUs,” stated the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a press release.

The rate of R&D investment is expected to be doubled, with a planned expenditure of Rs 32,766 crore over the next five years. While the majority of the R&D funding over the last decade came from established DPSUs like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited, and Bharat Dynamics Limited, R&D efforts are now being prioritized across all DPSUs,” it further added.

In addition, within the next five years, the seven new DPSUs created from the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board will invest over Rs 3,000 crore in R&D, with defence shipyards also planning to allocate over Rs 1,300 crore.

“During the event, a report detailing the Defence and Development (D&D)/R&D projects undertaken in the last decade, along with the plans for the next five years, will be published. Furthermore, the new R&D Manual of HAL, which offers flexibility, speed, risk assessment, and resource allocation in R&D projects, will be introduced,” the MoD said.

The Union Minister will also unveil a renewable energy report titled 'Swayam'.

This report marks the first initiative by the Department of Defence Production to gather and present energy efficiency practices of all 16 DPSUs.

It is noteworthy that the performance of DPSUs for 2024-25 has been impressive.

The total turnover reached Rs 1.08 lakh crore, reflecting a growth of 15.4% compared to 2023-24. The DPSUs reported a cumulative Profit After Tax of Rs 20,021 crore in 2024-25, achieving a growth of 19.5% over the previous year.

Remarkably, in 2024-25, DPSUs saw a remarkable 51% increase in exports compared to the previous financial year.

The event will also honor several DPSUs for their significant achievements and facilitate the signing of key Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).