Archive · 21 Aug 2026
India Restricts 914 Defence Items to Boost Domestic Manufacturing
India wants to make more of its defence equipment at home.
To do this, the government has listed items that will eventually have to be bought from Indian companies.
Six lists published between 2020 and 2026 cover 914 items.
The first five lists mainly included large equipment such as aircraft, tanks, ships and missiles.
The newest list includes 405 smaller but important parts.
These include electronics, spare parts, sub-systems and raw materials.
The government says this can create business for Indian companies and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
It may also help the armed forces obtain replacement parts more reliably.
India notified six Positive Indigenisation Lists covering 914 defence items between August 2020 and August 2026.
The sixth list adds 405 items and represents an estimated domestic business opportunity of about Rs 3,070 crore, or Rs 31 billion, through financial year 2032.
Earlier lists focused largely on platforms such as aircraft, helicopters, tanks, ships, missiles, radars and drones.
The latest list targets line-replaceable units, sub-systems, spares, components and raw materials used in existing defence platforms.
Defence electronics account for about 56% of the sixth list, while aerospace-related items account for about 21%.
- Who
- The Indian government, through the Ministry of Defence and Department of Defence Production, is implementing the restrictions; Indian defence manufacturers are expected to supply the items.
- What
- Six Positive Indigenisation Lists have placed 914 defence items on a path toward eventual import restrictions and domestic sourcing.
- When
- The lists were issued between August 2020 and August 2026; the sixth list was notified on August 17, 2026.
- Where
- The policy applies to defence procurement in India and targets domestic production for Indian armed forces.
- Why
- The government says the restrictions will strengthen domestic manufacturing, expand investment and innovation, improve supply security and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
- Total items covered
- 914 defence items across six Positive Indigenisation Lists
- First list
- 101 items, notified on August 21, 2020
- Sixth list
- 405 strategically important items, notified on August 17, 2026
- Sixth-list opportunity
- Approximately Rs 3,070 crore, or Rs 31 billion, in domestic business potential through financial year 2032
- Main sixth-list focus
- Line-replaceable units, sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components and raw materials
- Largest segment
- Defence electronics represent approximately 56% of the 405 sixth-list items
- Second-largest segment
- Aerospace-related items represent approximately 21% of the sixth-list items