India had procured military hardware and weapons worth ₹1.2 lakh crore from domestic sources by the end of 2024-25 as it is increasingly focusing on boosting self-reliance to confront national security challenges, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.
Speaking at an event in Delhi, he said the government was fully aware of the changing dynamics of the battlefield, especially the importance of non-contact warfare, such as the use of drones, and preparing for it accordingly.
Underlining the importance of enhancing India’s own defence industries to meet myriad security challenges, Rajnath said: “In 2021-22, our capital acquisition from domestic sources was around ₹74,000 crore, but by the end of 2024-25, the capital acquisition from domestic sources has increased to approximately ₹1,20,000 crore.”
“This change is not just about data, but also about mindset,” he said, adding the government had taken several policy initiatives in the past 10 years to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacturing of defence equipment.
The defence minister’s statement comes at a time when military veterans have flagged delayed equipment procurement, overdependence on imports for critical defence technology and inadequate air-defence systems. The veterans say these issues need to be addressed urgently to enable the armed forces to prepare for modern warfare and tackle emerging threats in the neighbourhood.
Early this year, the Indian Air Force had flagged delays in the delivery of the first batch of Tejas fighter jets from the government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited amid increased militarisation by China and Pakistan on the borders, which is being seen as a major security concern for India.
“Despite the government’s claims of self-reliance in the defence sector, production of the indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas Mk-1A has been delayed as the US engine supplier, GE Aerospace, has missed its schedule of delivering F-404 engines,” said a former lieutenant general.
“There is a high dependence on imports for essential hardware as domestic production levels do not meet requirements.”
The IAF is facing a severe shortage of fighter jets. Against an authorised strength of 42 fighter squadrons, the IAF currently has 29 — its lowest count in six decades.
Veterans have argued that in the absence of a robust indigenous manufacturing capability, India cannot become self-reliant. They say that if critical components are imported and assembled in India, the country will not become self-reliant in the defence sector.
Rajnath on Tuesday said the highest priority was now being given to domestic sourcing in the procurement of military hardware.