India indigenous defense manufacturing cannot fully replace dependence on foreign arms suppliers in time to meet India's immediate security needs.

While India has made significant progress, a total replacement is a long-term goal that will take decades to achieve.

The country's immediate defense requirements, particularly for high-end military platforms and technologies, still necessitate foreign imports.

Progress in Indigenous Manufacturing

India's push for defense indigenization has seen notable successes, especially under the "Make in India" initiative.

• Growing Production and Exports: India's defense production has surged to over ₹1.27 lakh crore in FY 2023-24, a 174% increase since 2014-15. Defence exports have also hit a record, with a 30-fold increase in a decade. This growth is driven by a shift from being a top importer to a more active producer and exporter.

• Key Projects: The country has successfully developed and deployed a range of indigenous platforms, including the LCA Tejas fighter jet, the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, the Dhanush artillery gun system, and the BrahMos cruise missile. These projects demonstrate India's growing capabilities in design, development, and manufacturing.

• Policy Reforms: The government has introduced policies like the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 to prioritize domestic procurement. It has also released "Positive Indigenisation Lists" that ban the import of thousands of defense items, compelling the military to source them from domestic manufacturers.

Persistent Challenges and Gaps

Despite the progress, significant challenges prevent a quick transition to full self-reliance.

• High-End Technology: India still heavily relies on foreign suppliers for high-end and critical technologies, such as advanced jet engines, stealth technology, and state-of-the-art avionics. The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), India's fifth-generation fighter jet project, still requires a foreign partner for engine development.

• Production Delays: Major indigenous programs, including the LCA Tejas and the Project 75-I submarine program, have faced significant delays. This slow pace of production creates critical capability gaps and forces the armed forces to continue operating aging equipment or seek expensive foreign alternatives.

• Continued Import Reliance: While defense exports have increased, India remains one of the world's largest arms importers. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the world's second-largest arms importer between 2020 and 2024. This highlights the ongoing reliance on foreign suppliers to meet the needs of the armed forces.

• Fragmented Supply Chain: India's defense manufacturing ecosystem is still dominated by public sector undertakings, with the private sector's contribution, while growing, still limited. A lack of a robust and integrated supply chain for defense-grade materials and components remains a key challenge.

By John Uju-Ikeji