PIB class: Press Release. Ministry: Ministry of Defence.
Why in News
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mysore arrived at Lumut, Malaysia for the 4th edition of Exercise Samudra Laksamana.
Static Context (the exam value sits here)
Exercise Samudra Laksamana is the bilateral naval exercise between India and Malaysia. It builds maritime interoperability between the two navies.
Lumut hosts the main base of the Royal Malaysian Navy. It sits on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia facing the Strait of Malacca.
INS Mysore is a guided missile destroyer of the Indian Navy. It belongs to the Delhi class of destroyers.
The exercise supports India’s Act East Policy and Indo Pacific outreach. Malaysia is an ASEAN member and a maritime neighbour across the Bay of Bengal.
Prelims angle
Pairing exercises with countries. Samudra Laksamana is India and Malaysia. Location cue Lumut and the Strait of Malacca as a chokepoint. Distinguish from other India naval exercises such as Varuna with France and Malabar with the United States, Japan and Australia.
Mains angle
GS3, security, and GS2, India and its neighbourhood. Naval diplomacy and maritime security cooperation in the Indo Pacific.
Matching Previous Year Question
“No direct PYQ on this bilateral exercise was traced in the provided files. Closest tracked Microtheme is Defence and India’s maritime security cooperation.”
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for defence acquisition proposals worth around ₹1.10 lakh crore.
About 98% of the approved procurements are planned from Indian industry, reinforcing the government’s focus on defence indigenisation and self reliance.
What is the DAC?
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is the highest decision-making body in the Ministry of Defence for defence procurement.
It was constituted in 2001 following the recommendations of the Group of Ministers after the Kargil War.
Chairperson: Union Defence Minister.
It deals with major decisions related to acquisition of capital assets for the Armed Forces.
What has the DAC approved?
Indian Army
CBRN reconnaissance vehicles: Detect, identify, monitor and mark areas contaminated by chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents.
High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs): Improve operational mobility and logistics in difficult terrain.
Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs): Support operations across diverse terrains.
Trawl tanks: Facilitate movement through mine contaminated areas.
Sarvatra Bridge System: Provides rapid bridging and crossing capability during military operations.
Indian Navy
Arudhra radars: To replace existing air route surveillance radars at naval air stations.
Marine Gas Turbines (MGTs): Indigenous design, development and procurement for warship propulsion, reducing dependence on foreign vendors.
Indian Air Force and Defence Forces
Proposals to enhance capabilities of fighter aircraft, transport aircraft and helicopters.
Ground Based Multi Purpose Jammers (GBMPJ): Provide jamming capability against adversary radars.
Defence Forces Secure Access Card (DEFSAC): Replace paper based identity cards, passes and permits with interoperable RFID based smart cards.
Why is Defence Indigenisation Important?
Strategic autonomy: Reduces dependence on foreign suppliers for critical military systems.
Operational security: Minimises vulnerabilities arising from dependence on external vendors.
Domestic manufacturing: Creates demand for Indian defence companies and strengthens the defence industrial base.
Technology development: Encourages indigenous R&D and advanced defence technologies.
Economic benefits: Generates skilled employment and strengthens domestic supply chains.
Prelims Pointers
Total value: Around ₹1.10 lakh crore.
DAC: Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by the Defence Minister.
AoN:Acceptance of Necessity, the initial approval for a defence procurement proposal.
CBRN: Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear.
ALH: Advanced Light Helicopter.
MGT: Marine Gas Turbine.
DEFSAC: Defence Forces Secure Access Card.
98%: Approximately 98% of the approved procurement value is planned to be sourced from Indian industry.
[2026] Which of the following items of defence hardware is/are manufactured in India? 1.Su-30 MKT Fighter Jects 2.T-90 MKI-III Tanks 3.Akula Class Submarine Select the answer using the code given below:
The 16th Aero India will be held in Bengaluru from 8 to 12 February 2027.
Static Context
Nature: Aero India is Asia’s largest aerospace and defence exhibition, held once every two years.
Venue: The event is held at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru.
Organiser: The Ministry of Defence organises the exhibition through its Department of Defence Production.
Purpose: The show promotes indigenous defence manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy and draws global original equipment manufacturers and delegations.
Last edition: The 15th edition was held in February 2025 at Bengaluru.
Prelims Angle
Aero India is held at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru.
It is a biennial event.
The organising ministry is the Ministry of Defence.
Mains Angle
GS3, defence and indigenous manufacturing: A question can ask how such platforms advance defence exports and self reliance.
The procurement side: It can probe how exhibition led engagement translates into actual technology transfer.
The Indian Navy has commissioned INS Nipun at Mumbai, a dedicated Diving Support and Submarine Rescue Vessel built for work beneath the surface.
What capability does INS Nipun add?
It is a specialist platform for underwater work: The vessel is built for deep sea diving, underwater intervention and submarine rescue.
It can carry the rescue submersible: Its ability to embark and operate the Indian Navy’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel is what converts it into a rescue platform.
The rescue role extends beyond Indian submarines: It can respond to a distressed submarine of the Indian Navy or of a partner navy, which is the basis of the claim that India can emerge as the region’s preferred submarine rescue partner.
Its diving capability supports relief work: The specialised diving capability can assist partner nations in underwater salvage and in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions.
Few navies hold the combination: The vessel brings together a range of capabilities possessed by only a handful of navies.
Why does the Navy frame this as a strategic requirement?
The maritime environment is described as contested: The Chief of the Naval Staff assessed that threat perceptions are constantly evolving and morphing into newer forms.
Preparedness is the stated response: The exact nature of future threats cannot be predicted, so robust capability has to be built against anticipated threats in advance.
The Western Naval Command gains a full column capability: The addition allows the command to operate above, on and beneath the waves.
Integration is the immediate task: The command is to fold the vessel into operational plans, exercise her capabilities rigorously and develop proficiency around her systems.
What does the vessel mean for indigenous shipbuilding?
The builder is an Indian yard: Hindustan Shipyard Limited at Visakhapatnam designed and built the vessel indigenously.
The class is new to the fleet: INS Nipun is the second ship of the Nistar class of diving support vessels.
The Ministry of Defence frames it as self-reliance: The induction is presented as a further step towards self-reliance in defence shipbuilding.
The platform type is rarely built domestically: A diving and rescue vessel is a niche design, so building it in India establishes a capability that cannot be sourced quickly from imports.
Challenges to India’s submarine rescue and underwater capability
Rescue is a race against the air supply: A disabled submarine’s crew survives on limited oxygen, so a rescue system has to be transported and mated within hours. Eg. All 118 crew aboard the Russian submarine Kursk died in the Barents Sea in 2000 before foreign rescue assistance was accepted. The Fix: Keep rescue systems prepositioned on both seaboards with standing mating certification against partner navy hatch designs.
The fleet operates on two seaboards with few rescue platforms: Indian submarines patrol the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and dedicated rescue assets are limited in number. Eg. India inducted its first Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle system only in 2018, with the second following the next year. The Fix: Retain air transportable rescue systems that can be flown to the nearest usable port instead of sailed from a home base.
Rescue only works where the hatch fits: A rescue vehicle can dock only with a submarine whose escape hatch matches its mating skirt, so cross navy rescue depends on standardisation. Eg. The International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office exists to run exercises that test exactly this compatibility. The Fix: Certify Indian rescue systems against partner navy hatch standards and publish the compatibility list to regional navies.
Naval shipbuilding timelines stretch: Indian yards have delivered warships and submarines behind their original schedules, which delays the capability rather than the contract. Eg. Deliveries under the Scorpene class submarine programme ran years behind the timeline set at signing. The Fix: Link yard payments to certified milestone completion rather than to calendar tranches.
Saturation diving is a scarce skill: Deep diving support needs trained saturation divers and chamber operators, and that trained pool is small worldwide. Eg. Offshore energy operators and navies draw saturation divers from the same limited global workforce. The Fix: Run a joint naval and commercial diving training school whose certification is recognised for offshore industry work, so the pool grows beyond service requirements.
Back2Basics: Hindustan Shipyard Limited
Status: A shipyard at Visakhapatnam that was transferred to the Ministry of Defence in 2010 from the Ministry of Shipping.
Origin: It was founded in 1941 as Scindia Shipyard and built India’s first indigenous merchant ship, Jala Usha, in 1948.
Work: It builds and repairs merchant and naval vessels and carries out submarine refits for the Indian Navy.
Current orders: It is building the Nistar class diving support vessels and the fleet support ships ordered for the Navy.
[2026] Which of the following items of defence hardware is/are manufactured in India?
India has finalised a deal to purchase the Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system from the United States through its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. The purchase closes a process that began in 2010 and was shelved and revived several times in between. The original attempt collapsed over the American refusal to release the missile’s core seeker technology, and the alternative India turned to in its place, Israel’s Spike system, also failed to convert into a contract. The tension is that the deal has now closed on terms India rejected sixteen years ago, since co-production of a finished round is a different thing from the full transfer of technology that was demanded the first time.
What is the Javelin anti-tank guided missile?
What it is: A third generation, man portable anti-tank guided missile produced in the United States, designed to be carried and fired by a two person infantry team.
Fire and forget guidance: The operator locks the missile onto the target before launch and the missile then guides itself to impact. The firing team can leave the position immediately, which a wire guided missile does not allow.
Why did India want the Javelin in 2010?
The stated intent: In August 2010 the Defence Minister told Parliament that the government intended to procure third generation Javelin missiles through the FMS route, and that the procurement would include a transfer of technology.
The inventory gap: The move was driven by a shortage of anti-tank guided missiles in the Indian Army’s inventory.
The indigenous programme slipped: The original timelines for the indigenous systems being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had been delayed.
What it was meant to replace: The idea was to replace the ageing Milan-2T and Konkurs missile systems then in use with the Army.
Where the preference came from: United States forces actively showcased the system during the 2009 bilateral exercise Yudh Abhyas, after which it was highlighted as the choice to immediately fill the gap.
Why did the first attempt collapse?
The technology restriction: The acquisition was shelved because of stringent technology transfer restrictions imposed by Washington.
The specific component withheld: The United States refused to share the missile’s core seeker technology, the imaging sensor that identifies and tracks the target, under a 100 per cent transfer of technology model.
The consequence: The refusal caused India to pivot to Israel’s Spike missile system, manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, in 2014.
What happened to the Spike alternative?
Why Spike was chosen: In 2014 India went ahead with Spike over the Javelin, on the understanding that it could offer greater flexibility of technology transfer and local production.
The order cleared: The Defence Acquisition Council cleared the purchase of over 8,000 Spike missiles.
Why it was cancelled: Concerns over the system’s performance in trials, over technology transfer, and over progress in India’s own man portable missile programme led to cancellation of the $500 million order in 2017.
Revived and shelved again: The deal was revived in 2018 following the Israeli Prime Minister’s visit, and was subsequently shelved again.
The stopgap purchase: India undertook an emergency purchase of a limited quantity of the fourth generation Spike-LR missiles in 2019 to meet an immediate operational gap.
What did get built: In August 2023 Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems, a joint venture between the Kalyani Group and Rafael, said it had won a Rs 287.51 crore order from the Defence Ministry for the supply of the missile systems.
What changed to make the second attempt succeed?
A different bilateral setting: The Javelin reappeared in India United States strategic discussions at a point when defence cooperation between the two countries had deepened.
Co-production replaced technology transfer as the ask: A United States Congressional Research Service report updated in 2025 noted that co-production discussions involving the missile were ongoing.
The industrial tie-up: In February 2025 the Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, said it was exploring co-assembly and co-production in India. It signed a memorandum of understanding with Bharat Dynamics Limited.
The operational trigger: Discussions gained pace after Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
The two track negotiation: By July 2025 India was negotiating for the systems both as an emergency procurement and through a long term contract, the latter likely involving co-production of the weapon systems.
The clearance: Washington officially cleared the sale in November 2025.
Challenges to the Javelin acquisition
A government to government sale surrenders schedule control: Under Foreign Military Sales the buyer contracts with the United States government rather than with the manufacturer, so delivery follows the seller’s production queue. Eg. GE Aerospace’s F404 engine deliveries for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft programme ran late as European demand for American systems surged after 2024. Fix. Write dated delivery milestones with defined penalties into the Letter of Offer and Acceptance rather than relying on the standard schedule.
Co-assembly is not the technology that was withheld: An arrangement to assemble finished rounds in India leaves the guidance package as an imported item, which is the precise gap that stalled the 2010 attempt. Eg. Indian co-production of imported systems has historically stopped at airframe and integration work. Fix. Tie offset credit to manufacture of the seeker and its imaging components rather than to assembly hours.
Unit cost limits how deep the stock can go: A fire and forget round with an imaging seeker costs many times what a wire guided round costs, which restricts the number of rounds a formation can hold. Eg. The 2019 purchase of Spike-LR was a limited emergency buy rather than an inventory replacement. Fix. Pair the import with volume production of DRDO’s Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile so the expensive round is reserved for the hardest targets.
Four missile families in one role: The Army would operate legacy Milan and Konkurs stock, Spike, Javelin and the indigenous system together, multiplying training pipelines and spares chains. Eg. The Kalyani Rafael line and a Bharat Dynamics Limited line would produce competing rounds for the same infantry task. Fix. Fix a role split by range band and phase the legacy systems out on a published timetable.
Conclusion
India has been short of man portable fire and forget anti tank missiles for more than a decade. The purchase answers that operational gap rather than any shift in acquisition policy, and the indigenous programme’s repeated slippage is what left the gap open. The marker to watch is whether the domestic arrangement moves past final assembly into seeker manufacture, since that is the component the first attempt broke on. If it does not, the deal has bought rounds rather than capability, and a one time exception starts to look like the practice.
Back2Basics: Foreign Military Sales
What it is: The United States government’s programme for selling defence articles, services and training to foreign governments and international organisations.
How the transaction runs: The buyer contracts with the United States government, which then places the order with the manufacturer on the buyer’s behalf, so there is no direct commercial contract with the company.
Who administers it: The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, under the Department of Defense, runs the programme under the Arms Export Control Act, 1976.
The Congressional step: Sales above set value thresholds must be notified to the United States Congress before a Letter of Offer and Acceptance is issued to the buyer.
Matching Previous Year Question
“[2021, GS3, 10 marks] How is S-400 air defence system technically superior to any other system presently available in the world?”
The Defence Ministry has simplified its Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and overhauled the Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework to help Indian defence manufacturers access global markets faster. Stakeholder consultation with concerned ministries and government agencies has been dispensed with for exports of non-lethal defence items to most destinations, though safeguards continue for sensitive countries, and the same consultation requirement has been removed altogether for exports linked to international tenders and exhibitions.
What has changed under the revised Export SOP?
Reduced consultation for non-lethal exports: Stakeholder consultation with concerned ministries and agencies is no longer required for exporting non-lethal defence items to most destinations, though safeguards remain in force for sensitive countries.
No consultation for tenders and exhibitions: The same consultation requirement has been dropped for exports of all items meant for international tenders and exhibitions, letting Indian companies pursue overseas opportunities faster.
How has the OGEL framework been restructured?
Consolidated procedures: Three separate OGEL SOPs, covering major platforms and equipment, parts and components, and intra-company technology transfer, have been merged into a single framework.
Longer validity and wider country coverage: OGEL validity has been extended from two years to three, and its country coverage expanded from 41 countries to all countries except those designated negative or sensitive.
A new licence category for long-term contracts: Indian companies with long-term contracts or agreements with foreign original equipment manufacturers can now obtain an OGEL for eligible items tied to that specific manufacturer, with validity aligned to the underlying contract.
Expanded item coverage: OGEL eligibility now extends to civil-end-use exports of specified small-calibre arms components and protective equipment.
Challenges to the liberalised export and licensing regime
Diversion risk from wider country coverage: Extending OGEL coverage to all countries except a negative list raises the risk that dual-use or sensitive items reach unintended end users through re-export or transhipment. Eg. Widened general licensing regimes elsewhere have previously required retrofitted end-use verification systems after initial liberalisation exposed gaps, as seen in tightened United States Commerce Control List enforcement following early Export Administration Regulations liberalisation. Fix. Pair the wider OGEL coverage with mandatory post-export end-use certification audits for a sample of shipments to non-treaty destinations.
Consultation removal versus oversight continuity: Dispensing with stakeholder consultation for non-lethal exports speeds approvals but removes a cross-ministry check that previously caught destination-specific concerns before shipment. Eg. Non-lethal classification itself can be contested, since components with civil and military dual use, such as certain protective equipment, may be misclassified at the exporter’s discretion. Fix. Retain a post-facto sampling audit by the Department of Defence Production even where pre-export consultation is waived.
Conclusion
The Defence Ministry’s overhaul of the Export SOP and the OGEL framework liberalises licensing timelines, validity and country coverage for Indian defence exporters while explicitly retaining safeguards for sensitive countries and technologies. The stated intent is to let Indian manufacturers respond faster to international tenders and deepen co-production ties with foreign original equipment manufacturers.
Back2Basics: What is an Open General Export Licence (OGEL)?
An OGEL is a standing, one-time authorisation that lets an eligible exporter self-generate export authorisations for multiple consignments of specified defence items without seeking a separate approval for every individual shipment.
It is administered by the Defence Ministry’s Department of Defence Production and covers major platforms and equipment, parts and components, and intra-company technology transfers.
Its use remains subject to end-destination safeguards, so items bound for negative or sensitive countries continue to require case-by-case authorisation outside the OGEL route.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the transfer of technology (ToT) for all conventional missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to the Indian defence industry, opening the way for domestic private production of these systems for the first time. Until now, production had rested with Defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited, DRDO’s own in-house facilities, and the India-Russia joint venture that builds the BrahMos cruise missile. This is a One development, one row item; both The Hindu and The Indian Express carried the decision, and this entry is filed from the Indian Express account, which names the specific missile systems and the strategic systems excluded from transfer.
What does the transfer of technology actually change?
A closed production model opens to private industry: Production of DRDO-developed conventional missile systems was previously confined to a defence PSU and DRDO’s own facilities; the ToT decision allows private companies, MSMEs, and other technology partners to manufacture these systems, subject to qualifications, certifications, and regulatory requirements.
An initial set of named systems anchors the rollout: Officials cited the beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile ASTRA, the anti-radiation missile RUDRAM, the short-range air defence system VSHORADS, the anti-tank guided missile NAG, and the Naval Anti-Ship Missile (NASM) as the systems the initiative could begin with, though the stated goal is to extend private production to all conventional missile systems.
Strategic systems are explicitly carved out: The Agni series and the K-series missiles will not be part of this technology transfer, since they are classified as strategic missiles rather than conventional ones.
The stated objective is industrial-scale transition: The Ministry of Defence framed the decision as enabling the transition of missile projects from the development stage to industrial-scale production, reducing import dependence and increasing indigenous value addition.
Conclusion
The decision restructures who is permitted to manufacture India’s conventional missile systems, shifting DRDO’s role from developer-cum-producer to developer-cum-technology-provider, and is intended to widen the industrial base, including private firms and MSMEs, that can supply the country’s expanding conventional missile requirements.
The Department of Defence Production notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List, covering 405 strategically important defence items with an estimated business potential of Rs 3,070 crore. The list moves the import ban from whole platforms down to the spares, sub-assemblies and raw materials layer that keeps imported fleets flying and floating.
What is the Positive Indigenisation List?
Definition: A Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) is a notified list of defence items that can be procured only from Indian industry after a stated deadline passes.
Legal effect: The listed item stays importable until its deadline. After that date, procurement is exclusively domestic.
Issuing authority: The Department of Defence Production (DDP) under the Ministry of Defence notifies the list.
Two families of lists: One family covers capital acquisition platforms for the armed forces. The second family covers line replaceable units, sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components and raw materials of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), which is the family the sixth list belongs to.
Policy anchor: The Ministry placed the sixth list within the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative for self reliance in defence manufacturing.
What is a Line Replaceable Unit?
Definition: A Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) is a self contained module on a platform that a technician can swap out at the operating unit itself, without sending the platform to a depot.
Why it matters: LRU import dependence decides fleet availability, since an aircraft grounded for one imported module is as unusable as an aircraft never bought.
What is the SRIJAN Defence Portal?
Definition: The SRIJAN Defence Portal is the Ministry of Defence’s online indigenisation platform on which DPSUs and the Services publish items they currently import and invite Indian vendors to develop them.
Use in this case: The detailed sixth list has been uploaded on the portal, so vendors can see item level specifications rather than only the headline count.
Components of the sixth list, by lifecycle stage
The release’s own categorisation phrase is “line replaceable units, sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components and raw materials”. The table below keeps that official grouping and maps each element to the stage of the platform lifecycle it sits at.
Official category (lifecycle stage)
Platforms and systems covered
Official figures
Primary stakeholder
Raw materials (input stage)
Feedstock for the listed platforms and systems
No separate figure given in the release
Indian industry, particularly MSMEs
Components and spares (production stage)
Armoured platforms T-72, T-90 and BMP-II, and warships
No separate figure given in the release
DPSUs with MSME participation
Sub-assemblies and sub-systems (assembly stage)
Advanced Light Helicopter, Light Utility Helicopter, Chetak and Cheetah helicopters, Su-30MKI, Jaguar, MiG-29, the Light Combat Aircraft and the AL-31FP engine
No separate figure given in the release
DPSUs, in house development route
Line replaceable units (sustainment stage)
Missile systems Konkurs-M, Invar and MRSAM, defence electronics covering radars, sonars, fire control systems and satellite communication systems, and High Explosive Anti-Tank ammunition
Part of the 405 items worth Rs 3,070 crore
16 items for the Indian Coast Guard, 389 items for DPSUs
Exclusive domestic procurement (offtake stage)
All 405 listed items
Deadlines running up to December 2031
Indian industry as the sole permitted source
Why does the list target spares and sub-systems rather than whole platforms?
Sustainment is where imports survive: A platform built in India under licence still draws imported modules through its service life, so a platform level ban leaves the recurring import bill untouched.
Legacy Russian and Western fleets stay in service: The Su-30MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, T-72, T-90, BMP-II, Konkurs-M and Invar are all of foreign origin and remain in front line use, so their spares are the standing demand.
MSMEs can enter at this scale: The Ministry stated that DPSUs and the Indian Coast Guard will indigenise through several routes including in house development, with participation from industry and particularly MSMEs.
Deadlines create assured demand: Once an item is developed locally, it will be procured exclusively from Indian industry, which converts a technical goal into a guaranteed order.
Stated economic objective: The Ministry expects the list to expand opportunities for Indian industry, strengthen the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem, promote investment and innovation, and reduce import dependence.
What does the record of the previous five lists show?
Cumulative coverage: The last five positive indigenisation lists together comprised 5,012 critical items of DPSUs.
Delivery so far:3,200 of those items have already been indigenised.
Value realised: The indigenised items carry an import substitution value of over Rs 3,900 crore.
Completion gap:1,812 items from the earlier five lists remain to be indigenised even before the sixth list’s 405 are added.
Scale of the new tranche: The sixth list’s Rs 3,070 crore business potential is close to the entire import substitution value the previous five lists have delivered so far.
Challenges to the Positive Indigenisation List
Design authority remains abroad: Reverse engineering a spare does not transfer the original equipment manufacturer’s design data, so upgrades and configuration changes still need foreign clearance, e.g. Su-30MKI serviceability fell sharply when Russian spares supply was disrupted after February 2022.
Certification is the real bottleneck: A developed item still needs airworthiness or seaworthiness clearance before induction, and that queue is longer than the development itself, e.g. clearances from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification for a single aviation grade module routinely run into years.
An import ban does not create capability: Prohibiting an import without a working domestic alternative simply postpones the requirement, e.g. the Kaveri engine programme began in 1989 and the Light Combat Aircraft still flies on the imported GE F404.
Working capital stress for small vendors: An MSME must fund development, tooling and inventory ahead of an order it may receive years later, e.g. procurement cycles under the Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020 routinely run beyond 100 weeks from acceptance of necessity to contract.
Quality escapes damage the case for domestic sourcing: A defective indigenous item costs more credibility than an imported one, e.g. the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2019 report on ammunition management flagged defective ammunition from Ordnance Factory Board units causing accidents and monetary loss.
Import substitution is not export competitiveness: Substituting an import for the home market does not make the product globally saleable, e.g. India stayed among the world’s largest arms importers through 2020 to 2024 even after five lists had been notified.
Conclusion
The sixth Positive Indigenisation List stands notified, with 405 items worth Rs 3,070 crore, split as 16 Indian Coast Guard items and 389 DPSU items, and uploaded on the SRIJAN Defence Portal. The next milestone is item wise indigenisation within the notified timeframes, with the outer deadlines running to December 2031, after which the listed items may be procured only from Indian industry.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a ₹1,943 crore contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian aircraft to the Indian Navy for 30 months. This will increase the Navy’s leased HALE RPAS fleet from 2 to 4, enabling simultaneous surveillance of India’s eastern and western seaboards.
What is MQ-9B Sea Guardian?
HALE: High Altitude Long Endurance
RPAS: Remotely Piloted Aircraft System
Maritime variant of the MQ-9B family.
Provides persistent ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) over large maritime areas.
Equipped with advanced sensors and surveillance payloads.
Can also undertake precision strikes.
Strengthens MDA (Maritime Domain Awareness) in the Indian Ocean Region.
Key Concepts
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)
Understanding activities in the maritime environment affecting security, safety, economy and marine environment.
It integrates: Radar, Satellites, Coastal surveillance, AIS (Automatic Identification System), and Airborne sensors
HALE RPAS
An unmanned aircraft operated remotely from a ground control station.
High altitude: Wider sensor coverage.
Long endurance: Prolonged surveillance with fewer interruptions.
Why is India Leasing MQ-9Bs?
Bridges the surveillance gap until the 31 purchased MQ-9Bs are delivered.
Provides immediate long endurance maritime surveillance.
Allows crews and maintainers to gain experience with a configuration similar to the future fleet.
Builds on the Navy’s existing experience with leased MQ-9As since 2020.
How Does It Strengthen the Navy?
HALE systems increase from 2 to 4.
Enables simultaneous surveillance of eastern and western maritime regions.
Improves persistent monitoring of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Strengthens early detection and response to maritime threats.
2024 India-US MQ-9B Agreement
31 MQ-9B systems for India’s armed forces.
Approximate value: $3.5 billion.
Includes a Global MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in India.
Provides for some assembly in India.
Includes indigenous sourcing of components.
Supports defence indigenisation and domestic manufacturing.
[2025] With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements: I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing. II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering. III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three (d) None
The armed forces will provide lists of eligible Agniveers to CAPFs for recruitment under the 50% reservation for former Agniveers. The first batch of around 25,000 Army Agniveers is expected to exit by December.
What is Agnipath?
Agniveers are recruited for a fixed 4-year tenure, including training.
Up to 25% are retained in the regular armed forces based on merit and organisational requirements.
The remaining 75% exit with a Seva Nidhi package.
They do not receive pension or gratuity.
What are CAPFs?
Central Armed Police Forces operate under the Ministry of Home Affairs, unlike the Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defence.
They include: BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles, and NSG
CAPF Recruitment for Former Agniveers
50% of Constable (GD) vacancies reserved for former Agniveers.
Eligible personnel will be identified through lists furnished by the Armed Forces.
Written examination, Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test are waived for former Agniveers.
Remaining 50% vacancies are filled through open recruitment.
Unfilled reserved vacancies are carried forward to open recruitment.
Why is it Important?
The framework provides Agniveers a pathway to a longer career, as CAPF personnel can serve up to 60 years, compared with the shorter service period in the armed forces.
Key Concerns
Eligibility depends on service-prepared lists, rather than direct application.
Criteria for inclusion in these lists are not clearly specified.
50% of CAPF Constable GD vacancies are reserved.
Former Agniveers enter at the entry grade without seniority/pay protection for military service.
Different States have adopted different reservation and age-relaxation policies.
Prelims Quick Facts
Agnipath tenure: 4 years
Retention: Up to 25%
Exit: Seva Nidhi, no pension/gratuity
CAPF quota: 50% of Constable GD vacancies
CAPFs: Under MHA
Armed Forces: Under Ministry of Defence
First Army Agniveer batch: About 25,000 expected to exit by December
“[2023] With reference to Home Guards, consider the following statements: 1. Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and Rules of the Central Government. 2. The role of the Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary force to the police in maintenance of internal security. 3. To prevent infiltration on the international border/coastal areas, the Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have been raised in some States. How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None
