New Delhi: The Department of Defence Production (DDP), under the Ministry of Defence, has notified the sixth Positive Indigenization List (PIL), covering 405 strategically important items with an estimated business potential of ₹3,070 crore.
The items – line replaceable units, sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components and raw materials – include 16 meant for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and 389 for defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs).
The list spans a wide range of platforms. On the aviation side, it covers components for the advanced light helicopter (ALH), the light utility helicopter (LUH), the Su-30MKI fighter, the light combat aircraft (Tejas LCA), and the AL-31FP engine that powers the Su-30MKI fleet – a Russian-origin turbofan that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited licence-builds in India. Land systems include the T-72 and T-90 tanks and the BMP-II infantry combat vehicle, alongside unspecified warship platforms.
Also on the list are missile systems such as the Konkurs-M and Invar anti-tank guided missiles and the medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM), developed jointly by India and Israel; defence electronics covering radars, sonars, fire control systems and satellite communication systems; and high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) ammunition, among other equipment.
Each item carries an indicative timeline for indigenization, after which it will be procured exclusively from Indian industry. The DPSUs and the ICG will pursue indigenization through multiple routes, including the DDP’s “Make” procedure and in-house development, with industry – particularly small and medium enterprises – participating. The full list is available on the SRIJAN portal (srijandefence.gov.in).
Set against its predecessor, the sixth list marks a sharp jump in value. The fifth PIL, notified in July 2024, comprised 346 items with an estimated business potential of ₹1,048 crore. The new list is about 17 per cent larger by item count but nearly three times as valuable – a sign that costlier, more complex systems are now being pushed toward domestic manufacture rather than simply a longer list of smaller parts.
The DDP launched the SRIJAN portal in August 2020 to let DPSUs and service headquarters offer items to industry, including MSMEs and start-ups, for indigenous development. Since then, more than 33,000 defence items have been offered through the portal up to June 2026, of which 5,012 were notified across the first five PILs. More than 15,700 items have been successfully indigenized over the past five years, yielding an import substitution value of about ₹9,000 crore, while DPSUs have placed procurement orders – including in-house production – worth roughly ₹10,000 crore with domestic vendors up to March 2026.
The list forms part of the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat push in defence manufacturing, overseen by the defence minister, Rajnath Singh, which aims to widen opportunities for Indian industry, deepen the domestic manufacturing ecosystem, encourage investment and innovation, and reduce dependence on imports. India remains among the world’s largest arms importers, which underscores what is at stake in the self-reliance drive.