Important for GS Prelims- Defence
Introduction
Defence indigenisation means a country designs, builds, and upgrades its own military equipment instead of relying on imports. Through Aatmanirbhar Bharat, India is pushing self-reliance across research, manufacturing, and exports — shown by new inductions like INS Nipun, INS Surat, INS Nilgiri, LCA Tejas, and the Akash missile system.
Objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence Indigenisation
- Cut import dependence and strengthen national security & strategic autonomy.
- Boost indigenous R&D and build a competitive defence manufacturing ecosystem.
- Generates Employment in high-tech industries and grow defence exports.
Key Initiatives under Defence Indigenisation
- Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), 2020 which Prioritises procurement from domestic manufacturers through Buy (Indian-IDDM) and other indigenous categories.
- Positive Indigenisation Lists-Lists defence equipment that can only be procured from domestic sources after specified timelines and is issued separately by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Department of Defence Production (DDP).
- Defence Industrial Corridors-Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor to promote defence manufacturing clusters and attract private investment.
- Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)- Supports start-ups, MSMEs, innovators, and academia in developing indigenous defence technologies.
- SRIJAN Portal- Online platform to identify imported defence items for indigenisation by Indian industry.
- Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)- Establishes common testing infrastructure for defence manufacturers through public-private participation.
- FDI in Defence- Up to 74% through the automatic route and beyond 74% through the Government route in cases involving access to modern technology.
Significance of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence Indigenisation
- Boosts military readiness, supply-chain resilience, and saves foreign exchange on imports.
- Drives technology transfer and innovation.
- Strengthens strategic autonomy and makes India a defence manufacturing & export hub.
Key Challenges to Defence Indigenisation
- Reliance on imported critical tech and components, plus high R&D costs and long development cycles.
- Limited private sector role and weak industry-academia collaboration in advanced defence systems.
- Tough global competition in defence exports.
Conclusion
Defence indigenisation is central to India’s goal of achieving strategic autonomy and a resilient defence ecosystem. By strengthening domestic innovation, manufacturing, and exports, it reinforces both national security and the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
| This article has been elaborately explained in Nipun: India’s Second Indigenous Diving Support Vessel |