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Positive Indigenisation List Adds 405 Defence Items

India Adds 405 Defence Items to Sixth Positive Indigenisation List

NEW DELHI, August 18: India has added 405 more defence items to its Positive Indigenisation List, opening a potential domestic business opportunity estimated at Rs 3,070 crore. The move covers equipment used across aircraft, armoured vehicles, warships, missile systems and defence electronics.

The Department of Defence Production (DDP), under the Ministry of Defence, notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List on August 18, 2026. It includes Line Replaceable Units, sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components and raw materials.

Of the 405 items, 16 belong to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), while 389 are linked to Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

The list reaches into several parts of India’s military inventory. Aircraft-related items include equipment for the Advanced Light Helicopter, Light Utility Helicopter, Su-30MKI, Light Combat Aircraft and the AL-31FP engine. Armoured vehicle-related items cover the T-72, T-90 and BMP-II.

Warships are also covered, along with equipment used in missile systems such as Konkurs-M, Invar and MRSAM. Defence electronics listed include radars, sonars, fire control systems and satellite communication systems. High Explosive Anti-Tank ammunition and other defence equipment are also part of the list.

Each item has an indicative deadline for indigenous development. Once an item is successfully developed in India, it will be procured from Indian industry under the stated policy.

For companies, especially smaller manufacturers, the change could create work in areas that have traditionally depended on imported parts. The DDP and the Indian Coast Guard will use routes such as the ‘Make’ procedure and in-house development. Industry participation, including from micro, small and medium enterprises and start-ups, is expected to form part of this process.

The move comes as India is putting a larger share of its defence spending into domestic procurement. Under the Union Budget for 2026-27, the Ministry of Defence received Rs 7.85 lakh crore, the highest allocation for the ministry so far. Of the capital acquisition budget, Rs 1.39 lakh crore, or about 75 per cent, has been set aside for procurement through domestic defence industries. The capital acquisition allocation itself stands at Rs 1.85 lakh crore.

This spending pattern gives the new list a direct link with future orders. Companies that can develop listed parts within the required specifications and time limits could compete for procurement once the items move into production.

The Positive Indigenisation List system has been built over several years. The Ministry of Defence began using such lists to identify equipment and components that would be made in India rather than routinely purchased from overseas suppliers. Earlier lists covered complete systems as well as sensors, weapons, ammunition, spares and other equipment.

The SRIJAN Defence Portal has been part of this process since its launch in August 2020. The Department of Defence Production created the portal so that DPSUs and Service Headquarters could place imported defence items before Indian companies, including MSMEs and start-ups, for local development and production.

The figures show how much the programme has expanded. According to the latest government figures supplied with the announcement, more than 33,000 defence items had been offered for indigenisation through DPSUs and Service Headquarters up to June 2026. Of these, 5,012 were items notified under the first five Positive Indigenisation Lists.

More than 15,700 defence items have been indigenised during the last five years, with an estimated import substitution value of about Rs 9,000 crore. DPSUs had also placed procurement orders, including in-house production, worth about Rs 10,000 crore with domestic vendors up to March 2026.

Earlier government data showed the scale of the SRIJAN effort rising from more than 38,000 items available on the portal in February 2025, with more than 14,000 already indigenised at that point. By May 2026, government figures put the number of indigenised items at more than 15,700, while domestic orders from DPSUs were reported at Rs 9,782 crore.

The sixth list therefore adds another 405 items to a programme that is already dealing with thousands of defence parts and systems. The range of equipment also shows that local production is moving beyond basic components. The latest additions touch aircraft engines, missile systems, armoured vehicles, naval platforms, ammunition and electronic systems.

For the armed forces, the purpose is also practical. A larger domestic supply base can reduce the need to wait for overseas suppliers for spare parts and other equipment. The 2026-27 defence budget has separately increased funds for operational requirements, including spare parts and maintenance of military platforms.

The policy still depends on execution. Indian manufacturers must develop the listed items to the required military standards, meet delivery schedules and produce them at the scale needed by the services. Where domestic industry cannot meet an immediate operational requirement, earlier government policy documents have allowed specific cases for imports based on the needs of the armed forces.

The sixth Positive Indigenisation List places another 405 items on that domestic manufacturing path. For Indian defence companies, the next stage will be turning the listed requirements into working products and, eventually, supply contracts.

The wider aim remains tied to Aatmanirbhar Bharat: reducing dependence on imported defence equipment while giving Indian manufacturers a larger role in supplying the country’s armed forces.

Research verification for the article: official Ministry of Defence and Press Information Bureau material was used to check the defence budget, SRIJAN programme, earlier Positive Indigenisation Lists and recent indigenisation figures.