DAC Clears ₹1.10 Lakh Crore Defence Procurement Proposals; 98% to Be Sourced from Indian Industry
The Defence Acquisition Council has cleared defence procurement proposals worth approximately ₹1.10 lakh crore, covering the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Around 98% of the procurement value will be sourced from Indian industry, strengthening military modernisation and indigenous defence manufacturing.
DEFENCE NEWS
New Delhi, 7 September 2026. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Monday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals estimated at approximately ₹1.10 lakh crore for the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. About 98 per cent of the procurement value is expected to be sourced from Indian industry.
AoN is an in-principle administrative approval and does not constitute a signed contract. The proposals must subsequently progress through the applicable qualitative requirements, tendering, trials, negotiations and contracting stages before induction.
The official Ministry of Defence list covers Army mobility and combat-engineering systems, Navy radars and marine propulsion, and Air Force requirements covering fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters, along with ground-based jammers. Industry reporting around the meeting also places the overhaul of 40 Su-30MKIs and the acquisition of around 2,500 Software Defined Radios within the IAF's procurement envelope, while specifying the Navy's marine turbine requirement in the 24–28 MW class.
INDIAN ARMY
The Army received AoN for CBRN Recce Vehicles, High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs), Self-Propelled Mechanical Mine Layers (MMLs), additional Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), Trawl Tanks and the Sarvatra Bridge System.
CBRN Recce Vehicles will provide mobile capabilities to detect, identify, monitor and mark areas contaminated by chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents. Operating ahead of the main force, these platforms can map hazardous areas and provide commanders with information required to bypass, decontaminate or operate through contaminated zones.
High Mobility Vehicles will improve the movement of troops, ammunition, fuel and medical support in high-altitude, desert and poorly roaded sectors where conventional logistics vehicles face mobility limitations.
Self-Propelled Mechanical Mine Layers will provide a faster means of establishing defensive minefields and blocking obstacles, allowing commanders to canalise enemy movement and reinforce defensive positions with greater speed.
Trawl Tanks are equipped with mine-clearing systems mounted at the front of the tank, including mechanical rollers or ploughs and an electromagnetic system. These mechanisms are designed to neutralise different types of anti-tank mines and create lanes through minefields for follow-on armoured formations.
Sarvatra, developed by DRDO's R&DE (Engineers), is a truck-mounted multi-span bridge system designed to enable combat formations to cross wet and dry gaps. Its 15-metre and 20-metre bridge sections can be combined to span larger obstacles, providing a Military Load Class 70 crossing capability suitable for heavy armoured platforms. Together with mine-clearing systems, it enables engineers to restore mobility across obstacles that could otherwise halt an armoured advance.
Additional ALH Dhruvs have also been cleared for the Indian Armed Forces The 5.5-tonne-class helicopter provides tactical troop lift, casualty evacuation, logistics, reconnaissance and search-and-rescue capabilities, with high-altitude performance particularly relevant to India's mountainous operational theatres. Armed variants such as the ALH Mk IV/Rudra add weapons and dedicated combat capabilities.
INDIAN NAVY
The Navy received AoN for Arudhra radars and for the design, development and subsequent procurement of Marine Gas Turbines.
Arudhra, DRDO's indigenous S-band active electronically scanned array radar, is intended to replace ageing Air Route Surveillance Radars at Naval Air Stations. The 4D radar provides range, azimuth, elevation and Doppler information, with published figures indicating an instrumented range of up to 400 km.
Its deployment will strengthen the air picture around naval air stations and provide improved detection and tracking of airborne targets, including low-level threats. Integrated identification-friend-or-foe functionality further supports airspace management and target classification.
24-28 MW Marine Gas Turbine
The Navy's other major requirement is the development of an indigenous 24–28 MW Marine Gas Turbine (MGT) for warship propulsion.
The programme is aimed at reducing India's dependence on foreign propulsion systems for major surface combatants. The Navy currently relies significantly on imported gas turbines, including Ukrainian Zorya-Mashproekt systems and General Electric LM2500-family engines.
A turbine in the 24–28 MW class would provide the power density required for major surface combatants and future generations of destroyers and other large warships. The programme will require expertise in high-temperature materials, turbine-blade manufacturing, combustion systems, coatings, control systems and marine environmental qualification.
An indigenous MGT would therefore represent a major step towards propulsion sovereignty, while also creating a domestic ecosystem for the design, manufacture, maintenance and overhaul of high-power naval engines.
INDIAN AIR FORCE
The IAF's approvals cover fighter, transport and helicopter capabilities, along with Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammers, the overhaul of 40 Su-30MKIs and around 2,500 Software Defined Radios.
Su-30MKI Overhaul
As per the reports DAC has cleared the Repair and Overhaul of 40 Su-30MKIs
The programme is intended to extend the service life of these aircraft by another 15–20 years and improve fleet availability. It is important to distinguish this from the separate Super Sukhoi upgrade programme, which involves deeper modernisation of the aircraft's radar, mission computers, electronic warfare suite and other systems.
The overhaul primarily addresses the aircraft's airframe, landing gear, hydraulics, fuel systems, engines and other life-limited components after a defined flying-hour cycle. For an IAF operating more than 260 Su-30MKIs, restoring aircraft to service through domestic overhaul capacity will help sustain squadron availability while newer fighter programmes mature.
2,500 Software Defined Radios
The IAF procurement reportedly also includes approximately 2,500 Software Defined Radios (SDRs),
SDRs use software-defined waveforms, encryption and networking rather than relying on fixed-function radio architectures. This allows different platforms to communicate through common, secure and adaptable communication standards.
For the IAF, the capability is particularly relevant to network-centric warfare, enabling fighters, helicopters, transport aircraft, airborne early-warning platforms, ground radars and command posts to exchange voice and tactical data over a common communications architecture.
Indigenous SDR development by DRDO and BEL, alongside the Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) can improve interoperability between systems from different manufacturers and reduce dependence on foreign tactical communication technologies.
Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammers will provide electronic attack capability against adversary surveillance and fire-control radars. By degrading detection, tracking and targeting, such systems can support friendly aircraft and other forces operating in contested electromagnetic environments.
98 PER CENT FROM INDIAN INDUSTRY
Approximately 98 per cent of the ₹1.10 lakh crore procurement value is expected to be sourced from Indian industry, covering a wide range of capabilities from helicopters, mobility systems and combat engineering equipment to radars, communications, electronic warfare and naval propulsion.
The approvals could generate work for Indian defence primes, MSMEs and specialised technology suppliers while strengthening domestic design and manufacturing capabilities.
The most strategically significant programmes extend beyond conventional procurement. The Su-30MKI overhaul sustains combat-aircraft availability, 2,500 SDRs strengthen network-centric operations, while the 24–28 MW Marine Gas Turbine programme addresses a long-standing gap in indigenous naval propulsion.
The September 7 DAC meeting thus combines near-term operational requirements with longer-term efforts to build sovereign capabilities in aviation, electronic warfare, communications, surveillance and naval propulsion.
However, the approvals remain AoNs rather than final contracts. Quantities, vendors, delivery schedules and final costs will be determined through the subsequent acquisition and contracting process.