Current Affairs · · GS3 · Internal Security

Sixth defence indigenisation list for armed forces nears approval

The Ministry of Defence is expected to release a sixth Positive Indigenisation List for the armed forces in the coming months, focused mainly on Army and Navy requirements. Five such lists covering 509 items have been notified since August 2020. Items on a list may be bought only from Indian industry after the stated date.

Event date:

REq1
  1. Context1 / 5
    • A sixth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) for the armed forces is reported to be in the final stage of approval, after review by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
    • It is expected to cover Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), sub-systems, assemblies and other strategically important equipment, mainly for the Army and the Navy.
    • A PIL does not ban imports at once. It sets an indicative date, after which the listed item must be bought from Indian industry.
    • Five DMA lists covering 509 items have been notified since August 2020. A separate series for Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) is run by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), whose own sixth list of 405 items was notified on 18 August 2026.
  2. Key highlights2 / 5

    Confusing the two series is the commonest error on this topic, so it is worth separating them.

    The DMA series

    • What it binds. Procurement by the armed forces.
    • Typical content. Complete platforms and complex systems: helicopters, corvettes, radars, tank engines, missile systems.
    • Lists so far. Five, covering 509 items, from August 2020.
    • The sixth list. Reported to be in the final stage of approval.

    The DDP series

    • What it binds. What the DPSUs themselves buy.
    • Typical content. LRUs, sub-systems, assemblies, spares and components.
    • Lists so far. Six, the latest of them on 18 August 2026, adding 405 items.
    • The sixth list. Already notified.

    Progress on the DMA lists. Figures attributed to the government put the position as follows. Of the 509 items, 191 worth about ₹3.40 lakh crore have been contracted, 114 worth about ₹4.75 lakh crore have received Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), and the remaining 204 worth about ₹5.41 lakh crore are at various stages of development.

    On the DDP side. The sixth DDP list of 405 items carries an estimated business potential of about ₹3,070 crore, covering 389 DPSU items and 16 Indian Coast Guard items.

  3. Key concepts3 / 5

    1. Why is a "positive" list in effect a negative import list?

    It lists what must be made in India, which is the same as saying those items may not be imported after the given date. The positive framing signals opportunity to industry rather than prohibition. The date matters more than the label: industry gets a guaranteed future market, and time to develop the item.

    2. What is a Line Replaceable Unit?

    A module designed to be swapped out at the operating base rather than repaired in a workshop, such as a radar's signal-processing unit. Indigenous LRUs matter because a fleet grounded for want of an imported spare is as unavailable as one that was never bought.

    3. What is Acceptance of Necessity?

    Under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, AoN is approval in principle that a capability is needed, granted by the competent authority. It comes before tendering and contracting, so an AoN is a step along the path, not a purchase.

    4. What is the SRIJAN portal?

    A Ministry of Defence portal on which DPSUs and Service Headquarters list items offered to Indian industry for indigenisation, with timelines. It is the practical interface between the lists and manufacturers.

  4. Note4 / 5

    Significance and limits

    • Why it matters. It gives domestic firms, including MSMEs and start-ups, assured demand, which is what justifies investment in design and tooling. It also reduces exposure to supply disruption and to sanctions on spares.
    • The limitation raised in commentary. Substitution at component level builds manufacturing know-how, but not necessarily design capability. Critics argue that lists should be paired with technology roadmaps, so that firms can invest against a moving target rather than a one-off order.
    • The conversion gap. Far more items have been offered for indigenisation than have been indigenised, so listing is the start of the process rather than its result.
  5. Way forward5 / 5

    These are suggested measures, not approved policy.

    • Publish technology roadmaps alongside each list, so that private investment can plan beyond a single order.
    • Shorten the path from AoN to contract, since a large share of listed items remains at pre-contract stages.
    • Build design capability, not substitution alone, through research funding, test facilities and certification support.
    • Support MSMEs with timely payments, access to trials and clear quality standards.

Sources

Syllabus

PaperSubjectSub-topic
GS3Internal SecurityDefence: indigenisation of technology and developing new technology; security challenges
GS2GovernanceGovernment policies and interventions in the defence sector
PrelimsInternal SecurityDefence indigenisation initiatives; Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020; DPSUs

Topics

External Sector of IndiaIndustryDefence Technology

Practice questions

  1. With reference to Positive Indigenisation Lists, consider the following statements: 1. Items on a list are barred from import only after the indicated timeline. 2. Both the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Defence Production notify such lists. 3. The lists apply only to major platforms and not to components or spares. Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Statements 1 and 2 are correct: a listing sets an indicative date after which the item must be bought from Indian industry, and the two departments run parallel series. Statement 3 is wrong, because the Department of Defence Production lists cover Line Replaceable Units, sub-systems, assemblies, spares and components, not only major platforms.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  2. Consider the following statements: 1. Acceptance of Necessity under DAP 2020 is the final award of a procurement contract. 2. A Line Replaceable Unit is a module that can be replaced at the operating base. 3. The SRIJAN portal lists defence items offered to Indian industry for indigenisation. Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is wrong, because Acceptance of Necessity is approval in principle that a capability is required, granted before tendering and contracting. A large share of listed items sits at this stage, which is why the time taken from Acceptance of Necessity to contract is itself a policy concern.

    Difficulty: medium · statement

  3. Consider the following statements about defence indigenisation in India: 1. The first Positive Indigenisation List was notified in August 2020. 2. Items on these lists are procured as per the Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020. 3. The lists guarantee that listed items have already been developed in India. Which of the statements given above are correct?

    1. 1 and 3 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 2 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong, because a listing sets a target date by which an item is to be indigenised; it is not a confirmation that the item already exists in India. Of the 509 items on the five lists, a substantial number remain at various stages of development.

    Difficulty: easy · statement

Mains practice

Answer-writing practice on this article. Attempt it first, then open the hints.

  1. GS3 · 250 words

    Positive Indigenisation Lists have become a central instrument of defence self-reliance. Examine their design and the gap between listing and capability.

    Show hints
    1. Explain the instrument: a listing with an indicative date creates assured future demand, which is what allows a firm to justify investment in design and tooling.
    2. Distinguish the two parallel series, one binding procurement by the armed forces and the other binding what the public sector undertakings themselves buy.
    3. Use the progress breakdown of the 509 items to show how much sits before the contract stage rather than after it.
    4. Argue the central limitation: substitution at component level builds manufacturing know-how without necessarily building design capability.
    5. Conclude on what would close the gap, including technology roadmaps, faster movement from Acceptance of Necessity to contract, and support for smaller firms.
  2. GS3 · 250 words

    Self-reliance in defence requires more than import substitution. Discuss with reference to design capability, research and development, and the procurement process.

    Show hints
    1. Draw the distinction between know-how, the ability to build to someone else’s design, and know-why, the ability to originate one.
    2. Explain how procurement timelines under DAP 2020, particularly the stretch from Acceptance of Necessity to contract, shape what industry can realistically invest in.
    3. Cover the enabling infrastructure that substitution alone does not create: research funding, test facilities and certification support.
    4. Discuss the division of effort between the public research establishment, the public sector undertakings and private firms including start-ups.
    5. Conclude on exports as the test of genuine capability, since a product that only a captive domestic buyer will accept has not proved itself.