NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, AUG 18
India is not merely buying weapons—it is systematically dismantling the import dependence hidden inside them. In another major push to turn the world’s largest defence importer into a formidable indigenous manufacturing power, the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence, has notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL), putting 405 strategically important defence items on the road to Indian development and production.
In yet another major step to promote Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing, Department of Defence Production has notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List comprising 405 strategically important items – 16 of Indian Coast Guard and 389 of DPSUs – with an estimated business…
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) August 18, 2026
With an estimated business potential of ₹3,070 crore, the latest list reaches deep inside India’s military hardware ecosystem—from aircraft and armoured vehicles to warships, missiles, radars, sonars and specialised ammunition. It opens another substantial window for Indian industry, particularly MSMEs and start-ups, to replace imported components with home-grown technology and manufacturing capability.
- ₹3,070-crore sixth Positive Indigenisation List opens fresh battlefield for Indian manufacturers
- From Su-30MKI and LCA to T-90 tanks, warships, missiles, radars and sonars, critical components move into indigenous-development pipeline
- 16 Indian Coast Guard and 389 DPSU items identified for domestic development and procurement
- MSMEs and start-ups get a bigger role as SRIJAN portal crosses 33,000 items offered for indigenisation
- 15,700-plus defence items already indigenised, delivering estimated import substitution of about ₹9,000 crore
From fighter jets to tanks: the import-replacement net widens
The 405 items comprise Line Replaceable Units, sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components and raw materials. Of these, 16 items relate to the Indian Coast Guard, while 389 are associated with Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
The list cuts across some of the country’s most critical platforms and systems, including Advanced Light Helicopter, Light Utility Helicopter, Su-30MKI, Light Combat Aircraft and the AL-31FP engine.
On the land-warfare front, components relating to T-72, T-90 and BMP-II platforms have been included, while naval requirements cover warships. Missile systems such as Konkurs-M, Invar and MRSAM also figure in the list.
The sweep extends to defence electronics, including radars, sonars, fire-control systems and satellite communication systems, besides High Explosive Anti-Tank ammunition and other critical equipment.
The new rule: develop in India, then buy from India
The significance of the PIL lies not merely in identifying components for indigenisation but in creating a clear pathway towards their eventual domestic procurement.
Each item carries an indicative timeline for indigenisation. Once successfully developed indigenously, the items will be procured from Indian industry.
The DPSUs and Indian Coast Guard will pursue indigenisation through multiple routes, including the ‘Make’ procedure and in-house development, with industry participation at the core—particularly from MSMEs and start-ups.
This approach seeks to transform indigenisation from a policy aspiration into a sustained industrial pipeline, while simultaneously creating opportunities for investment, technology development and innovation.
SRIJAN turns defence needs into industrial opportunities
The latest list builds on the SRIJAN Defence Portal, launched by DDP in August 2020 as a dedicated digital platform through which DPSUs and Service Headquarters offer defence items to Indian industry for indigenous development and production.
The scale of the exercise is already substantial. Up to June 2026, more than 33,000 defence items had been offered for indigenisation by DPSUs and Service Headquarters through SRIJAN.
These include 5,012 items notified under the first five Positive Indigenisation Lists, creating a widening catalogue of opportunities for Indian manufacturers, technology companies, MSMEs and start-ups.
From import substitution to an indigenous defence economy
The numbers indicate that the policy is increasingly translating into industrial outcomes.
More than 15,700 defence items have already been successfully indigenised, resulting in an estimated import substitution value of about ₹9,000 crore over the past five years.
The domestic vendor ecosystem is also gaining traction. DPSUs placed procurement orders—including in-house production—worth approximately ₹10,000 crore on domestic vendors up to March 2026.
The sixth PIL therefore represents more than another government notification. It adds another 405 pressure points against import dependence, while expanding the addressable market for Indian defence manufacturers.
As the Aatmanirbhar Bharat strategy moves deeper into the components, sub-systems and raw materials that power major weapons platforms, the larger objective is unmistakable: build the weapon, build its critical parts, own the technology—and keep the value chain within India.
