India's Top PSUs 2021

3 Dun & Bradstreet is pleased to announce the release of the thirteenth edition of its publication, ‘India’s Top PSUs’ . The publication provides an overview about the performance of the country’s leading Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and serves as a comprehensive ready-reckoner about this key segment of the Indian economy. Ever since India gained Independence sevendecades ago, PSUs have been a key contributor in the country’s industrial growth and development journey. The idea of PSUs was conceived to eradicate the problems of widespread unemployment, rural-urban disparity and technological backwardness and to develop the public sector as an instrument for self-reliant economic growth. Over the past seven decades, PSUs have not only addressed their primary objectives but have also helped the country meet objectives like infrastructure development and market expansion. Apart from direct contribution to economic output, they have ensured the uninterrupted and affordable supply of essential commodities, products and services. They have supported the growth of MSMEs, helped create wealth and employment, supported the Government’s strategic agenda and contributed to the Government exchequer. They have also been instrumental in driving technological progress and innovation. As the country grappledwith the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, PSUs stayed resilient and committed to their objectives. Even amid the crisis, PSUs ensured that the delivery of utilities and essential products and services were not significantly impacted. The Indian Railways ensured the movement of goods across the length and breadth of the country. Banks and financial services remained operational. Data suggests that in FY21, the dividend declared by 23 listed PSUs stood at ` 261 bn, which wasmore than twice the dividend declared by the same companies a year ago. PSUs even upheld their commitment to sustainable development, contributing to a whopping 65% of the aggregate CSR spend of all Indian corporates in FY20. The Government has introduced several schemes and relief packages to boost economic revival and growth. Of these, the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan seeks to make India a bigger and more important part of the global economy by not only becoming self-reliant but also give it a competitive edge globally. PSUs are implementing a range of initiatives tomeet this agenda, which includes developing indigenous technologies, rationalizing import dependency, providing a platform for greater participation of domestic firms/MSMEs and enhancing local capacity to support Government’s larger strategic objectives. The Government’s new mantra of ‘monetize or modernize’ is another key step. While on one hand, it seeks to monetize un-utilized and underutilized assets to mobilize resources and investments, it also calls for PSUs to modernize their systems, process and approaches to running operations. When it comes to modernization, PSUs have already begun adopting digital technologies and approaches. Additionally, to match the current business trends, PSUs are now investing in their employees’ soft skills, digital skills and leadership. We are also seeing an increasing focus on enhancing customer/citizen interactions and experiences. All of these augur well for the resilience and future-readiness of PSUs in the coming years. We are confident that ‘India’s Top PSUs 2021’ will be a valuable source of insights that will help in better understanding of the performance and achievement of PSUs. Dun & Bradstreet’s extensive reach will ensure that the publication receives the maximum exposure at the national and international level. We hope you enjoy reading this publication and look forward to receiving your feedback and suggestions. Foreword Preeta Misra Senior Director - Credibility & Business Insights Group (CBIG) & Learning & Economic Insights Group (LEIG) Dun & Bradstreet India Dun & Bradstreet