India felicitates four defence PSUs with Miniratna status; Rajnath Singh chairs review at new DPSU Bhawan

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a comprehensive review meeting of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) at the newly inaugurated DPSU Bhawan at World Trade Centre in New Delhi on Monday (November 10, 2025).

In the meeting, four DPSUs—Munitions India Limited (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), India Optel Limited (IOL) and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL)—were felicitated on being granted the Miniratna (Category-I) status.

Addressing senior leadership of the defence industry, the Defence Minister commended the DPSUs for strengthening India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem and advancing the national vision of self-reliance. He highlighted the role of indigenous platforms in recent operations, noting that the performance of 16 DPSUs reaffirmed their reliability and capability.

Mr. Singh said the Miniratna status reflects the improving efficiency, autonomy and strategic significance of the four entities.

He recalled the 2021 restructuring of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board into seven new DPSUs, which, he said, enhanced innovation, competitiveness and operational flexibility. The newly granted Miniratna status will enable greater capacity expansion, modernisation and collaboration, including new joint ventures and partnerships.

DPSUs’ contribution to production

Highlighting sectoral growth, the Defence Minister stated that India recorded defence production worth ₹1.51 lakh crore in 2024-25, with DPSUs contributing 71.6% of the total. Defence exports stood at ₹6,695 crore, reflecting increasing global acceptance of Indian-made defence systems.

Three major MoUs were exchanged during the event, including collaborations between HAL, BDL and Yantra India Limited for establishing a 10,000-tonne Forging Press facility, and an MoU to create a Metal Bank at MIDHANI (Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited) for ensuring sustained raw material availability.

Mr. Singh urged DPSUs to maintain momentum through focused research and development (R&D), indigenisation and strategic export growth, reaffirming the government’s full support.