Make in India in Defence
Indigenisation Policy
India's defence indigenisation policy is anchored in the goal of reducing import dependence (currently ~60% of defence equipment is imported) and building a domestic defence industrial base.
- DAP 2020 established a tiered preference for domestic procurement: Buy (Indian-IDDM) at the top, followed by Buy (Indian), then Buy & Make (Indian).
- Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured (IDDM): Highest preference category; requires minimum 50% indigenous content and domestic design ownership.
- The Negative Import List (also called Positive Indigenisation List): A rolling list of defence items that cannot be imported — must be procured domestically. Over 500 items are now on the list across three tranches.
- Defence Industrial Corridors: Two corridors established — Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu — to cluster defence manufacturing.
- The 55–60% localisation target for the Rafale deal exceeds the minimum indigenisation thresholds set under DAP 2020, reflecting the government's ambition to embed high-technology fighter jet manufacturing in India.
● Tracked since February 11, 2026 · last seen July 06, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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