The roadmap, prepared by Niti Aayog in close coordination with the finance ministry, will outline steps to strengthen their financial muscle, technological capability, corporate governance, talent pool and overall operational efficiency, officials told ET. They say the details will be released soon.
The idea is to create a vibrant, and non-intrusive, CPSE ecosystem that complements the government’s efforts to put India on an even growth trajectory and play a major strategic role when needed, they added.
These “championing CPSEs” will have more flexibility in their investment and other corporate decisions, in seizing opportunities abroad that align with the country’s strategic goals and recruiting talent from the private sector.
Officials said they will be pushed by the government to take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution – including the deployment of AI, the Internet of Things, digital twins and 3D printing – for operational efficiency and strategic strength.
“They will essentially be modern CPSEs in every sense for a developing India,” said an official. He said the initiative, led by NITI Aayog member Rajeev Goba, is part of the government’s broader efforts to make CPSEs future-ready. Guba held a meeting for this purpose last week. “As per the recent budget announcement on creating MSME champions through targeted government interventions, this is being planned for CPSEs.”
In August last year, ET reported that the Department of Public Enterprises had shortlisted around a dozen companies for systemic and technical reforms. These include Rare Earths of India, Bharat Electronics, Mazagon Dock Builders, Nuclear Power Corporation of India, REC and Central Warehouse Corporation.
As of March 2025, there were 475 CPSEs in the country, of which 291 were operational as per the latest survey of public enterprises.
