New Delhi: India has taken another major step towards reducing its dependence on imported defence equipment by adding 405 strategically important items to its latest list of products that must be developed and manufactured within the country.
The Department of Defence Production has notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List, covering equipment, components, spare parts and raw materials with an estimated business potential of ₹3,070 crore. The move is aimed at strengthening Indian defence manufacturing while creating new opportunities for domestic companies, including small businesses and start ups.
The latest list covers a wide range of equipment used by the armed forces and the Indian Coast Guard. It includes 389 items connected with Defence Public Sector Undertakings and 16 items associated with the Indian Coast Guard.
The products identified for indigenisation are not limited to one type of military equipment. They include parts and systems used in helicopters, fighter aircraft, tanks, armoured vehicles, warships, missiles, radars, sonars and communication systems.
Among the major platforms covered are the Advanced Light Helicopter, Light Utility Helicopter, Su 30MKI fighter aircraft, Light Combat Aircraft and the AL 31FP aircraft engine. Components used in T 72 and T 90 tanks and BMP II armoured vehicles are also included.
The list also covers equipment connected with important missile and defence systems, including Konkurs M, Invar and MRSAM. Radar systems, sonar equipment, fire control systems, satellite communication systems and high explosive anti tank ammunition are among the other products identified for domestic development.
The government has assigned an indicative timeline for each item. Once an item has been successfully developed and qualified in India, it will be procured from Indian manufacturers rather than being sourced through imports.
The move is part of India's broader effort to build a stronger domestic defence industry. Over recent years, the government has increasingly used Positive Indigenisation Lists to identify military equipment and components that can eventually be produced locally.
The latest announcement also highlights the growing role expected from private Indian companies. Defence Public Sector Undertakings and the Coast Guard will use different routes, including the Make procedure and in house development, to encourage domestic production.
Small and medium sized companies and start ups are expected to play an important role in this process. For these businesses, the new list could create opportunities to enter defence manufacturing and become suppliers to larger defence organisations.
The government has already created the SRIJAN Defence Portal to connect defence requirements with Indian manufacturers. Since the portal was launched in 2020, more than 33,000 defence items had been offered for indigenous development by June 2026. More than 15,700 items have already been successfully indigenised, resulting in estimated import substitution of around ₹9,000 crore over the past five years.
Defence Public Sector Undertakings have also placed procurement orders worth approximately ₹10,000 crore with domestic vendors, including orders involving in house production, up to March 2026.
The latest list therefore comes at a time when India's domestic defence industry is expanding rapidly. Defence production reached a record level of around ₹1.78 lakh crore in the financial year 2025 to 26, according to recent government figures.
The government sees domestic manufacturing as important not only for economic growth but also for national security. Reducing dependence on foreign suppliers can give India greater control over the availability of critical spare parts and components, particularly during periods of international tension or supply chain disruption.
The new initiative could also help Indian companies develop technologies that can eventually be supplied to international customers. A stronger domestic defence manufacturing base could support both military requirements at home and India's growing ambitions in defence exports.
However, putting 405 items on an indigenisation list does not mean that all of them will immediately be produced in India. Manufacturers still need to develop the required technology, meet military standards, complete testing and obtain approval before large scale procurement can begin.
The real impact of the announcement will therefore depend on how quickly Indian industry can develop these products and whether manufacturers can provide them with the required quality, reliability and cost competitiveness.
Still, the latest decision represents an important expansion of India's long term defence manufacturing strategy. From aircraft and helicopters to tanks, warships, missiles and electronic systems, the country is increasingly seeking to build a domestic supply chain for the equipment needed by its armed forces.
The ₹3,070 crore estimated opportunity from the latest list is only one part of that wider effort. The larger objective is to create an Indian defence industry capable of designing, producing and maintaining more of the country's military equipment at home.
For Indian manufacturers, particularly smaller technology companies and specialised suppliers, the new list could open another important door into one of the country's fastest growing industrial sectors.