New Delhi: In a decisive move towards bolstering India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing and curbing dependency on imports, the Department of Defence Production (DDP) under the Ministry of Defence has unveiled the fifth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) featuring 346 critical items.
These items encompass a wide array:
- Line Replacement Units
- Systems
- Sub-systems
- Assemblies
- Sub-assemblies
- Spares & Components
- Raw materials
With a combined import substitution value of Rs 1,048 crore, these items will now be exclusively sourced from Indian industries, adhering to the specified timelines for indigenisation as outlined in the list available on the Srijan portal.
The Srijan Portal, inaugurated in 2020 by the Ministry of Defence, serves as a pivotal platform where Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Service Headquarters (SHQs) showcase defence items to industries, including MSMEs and start-ups, to foster indigenous production efforts.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative has made significant strides in indigenising defence items, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh leading the charge towards bolstering self-sufficiency in defence production.
DPSUs such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), and others listed in the fifth PIL will undertake the indigenisation of these items through various avenues, including the ‘Make’ procedure or internal development in collaboration with industry players, including MSMEs.
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This initiative aims to stimulate economic growth, attract investments in defence, and diminish reliance on imports, while concurrently enhancing the design capabilities of India’s domestic defence industry through collaborations with academia and research institutions.
The Ministry of Defence’s announcement follows the successful indigenisation of 2,972 out of 4,666 items from the previous four PILs, amounting to an import substitution value of Rs 3,400 crore.
These efforts complement the Positive Indigenisation Lists encompassing 509 items released by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), covering advanced systems, sensors, weapons, and ammunition.
Since June 2024, DPSUs and SHQs have submitted over 36,000 defence items for indigenisation, resulting in the successful indigenisation of more than 12,300 items over the past three years. Consequently, DPSUs have initiated procurement contracts worth Rs 7,572 crore with domestic vendors, underscoring significant progress towards fostering self-reliance in India’s defence manufacturing sector.
