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Defence indigenisation and procurement

Indigenisation in defence runs through two levers: lists that reserve named items for Indian industry once an Indian version exists, and the purchase route itself, where clearances are now written so that almost all the money is spent at home. The sixth Positive Indigenisation List added 405 items in August, and the Defence Acquisition Council's September clearances came to about ₹1.10 lakh crore, about 98 per cent of it Indian.

How a purchase is approved

  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by the Defence Minister, is where a capital purchase for the armed forces is first approved.
  • Its clearance is the grant of Acceptance of Necessity, which is a decision to buy and not yet money committed.

What a Positive Indigenisation List does

  • The point of a list is the assured order that persuades private firms to spend on development.
  • SRIJAN, the defence indigenisation portal, has listed over 33,000 items since 2020, of which over 15,700 are indigenised.

What has happened

  1. 7 Sep 2026

    The Defence Acquisition Council cleared proposals worth about ₹1.10 lakh crore, about 98 per cent of it from Indian industry.

    • The Army's list runs to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicles, the Sarvatra Bridge System and Advanced Light Helicopters.
    • The Navy's includes Arudhra radars and marine gas turbines for warship propulsion, to be developed at home.
    • The Air Force's includes a ground based multi-purpose jammer against adversaries' radars.

    PIB, 7 Sep 2026: DAC clears capital acquisition proposals worth about Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the defence forces (opens in a new tab)

  2. 19 Aug 2026

    The Department of Defence Production notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List, of 405 items.

    • The 405 are line replaceable units, sub-systems, spares and components rather than whole platforms.
    • They fit platforms such as the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), the Su-30MKI, T-90 tanks and the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM).
    • In the same month the Defence Minister approved transferring the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) technologies for all conventional missile systems to Indian industry.

    The Hindu, 19 Aug 2026: Sixth Positive Indigenisation List notified (opens in a new tab) · PIB, 25 Aug 2026: DRDO missile technology transfer and sixth Positive Indigenisation List (opens in a new tab)