Defence awareness

Defence PSUs

The government companies that build ships, aircraft, missiles and vehicles.

Photo: HAL projects and timelines at the HAL Heritage Centre, Bengaluru
HAL projects and timelines at the HAL Heritage Centre, Bengaluru. Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are companies owned by the Government of India that build defence equipment, mostly under the Ministry of Defence.

INS Vikrant was built at Cochin Shipyard Limited, which belongs to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and not to the Ministry of Defence.

  • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), BengaluruMakes aircraft and helicopters such as Tejas, Dhruv and the Su-30MKI (under licence).
  • Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)Makes radars, communication and electronic systems.
  • Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), HyderabadMakes missiles.
  • Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, MumbaiBuilds warships and submarines, including the Kalvari-class submarines.
  • Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), KolkataBuilds warships and other vessels.
  • Goa Shipyard LimitedBuilds patrol vessels and other ships.
  • BEML and MIDHANIBEML makes heavy vehicles and earth-moving machines; MIDHANI makes special metals and alloys.
  • Ordnance factories to seven companiesIn 2021 the Ordnance Factory Board was changed into seven government companies, such as Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), Munitions India Limited and Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited.

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