The Ministry of Defence has announced a ban on the importation of 405 items, including line-replaceable units and spares, as part of its sixth positive indigenisation list. This initiative aims to reduce dependence on foreign imports and promote domestic manufacturing in the defense sector. The Department of Defence Production has highlighted that this move presents a significant business opportunity, estimated at around ₹3,070 crore, for private companies and Indian manufacturers.
Key instruments of the policy driving this transition include the following: According to the March SIPRI report, even though Indian arms imports decreased by 4% between 2016-20 and 2021-25, India still ranks as the second largest importer of weapons, contributing 8.2% to the world transfers. The sixth positive indigenisation list is a notification issued by the Ministry of Defence to prohibit the imports of 405 subsystems, components, and spares and compel their purchase from domestic vendors. India’s Ministry of Defence has set a target of manufacturing ₹3 lakh crore in defence and exports of ₹50,000 crore in defence by 2029-30.
