Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet heads of Public Sector Enterprises tomorrow. An official statement said, the meeting is being held under the initiative of the Department of Public Enterprises headed by the Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Mr. Praful Patel. It will provide an opportunity to Public Sector Enterprises including Maharatna & Navratna to convey their views to the Prime Minister on several key issues concerning PSEs. These include autonomy and empowerment of the Public Sector Enterprises, disinvestments plans, improvement in MoU system, flexibility and professionalism in the boards of CPSEs, capital expenditure, future investment plans and global expansions as well.

AIR correspondent reports, during 2010-11, the 248 CPSEs touched an all time high investment of more than six lakh sixty six thousand crore rupees which was 15 percent more than the previous year. They recorded a turnover of more than fourteen lakh seventy three thousand crore rupees which was over 18 percent more than the previous year. CPSEs contributed more than one lakh fifty six thousand crore rupees to central exchequer and in 2010-11 and also earned foreign exchange of ninety seven thousand crore rupees. The 45 listed CPSEs had market capitalization of around fifteen lakh six thousand crore rupees, about 22 percent of total market capitalization of Bombay Stock Exchange as on 31 March 2011.

It is for the first time a meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the head of the Public Sector Enterprises is being held on the same lines of Dr. Singh's annual meeting with the Captains of the Industry, from the private sector.