'The share of the private sector is at its all-time high of around Rs 42,000 crore in FY26, reflecting its expanding role in the defence ecosystem.'
Army, Navy and Air Force commanders received enhanced powers to address urgent operational requirements quickly.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun in Bishkek to discuss maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and broader regional security concerns.
India's defence sector is on the cusp of a 'super cycle' of growth, driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts and a strong policy push towards indigenous manufacturing, with major players like BEL, HAL, and BDL poised for significant order inflows and technological advancements.
Real Madrid have signed Spain international Marc Cucurella from Chelsea on a six-year deal, making him Jose Mourinho's first signing since returning to the Santiago Bernabeu as manager.
The IAF's future operational concepts could involve indigenous Tejas combat aircraft coordinating in real time with multiple Ghatak RPSAs, each carrying a different mission payload ranging from electronic warfare systems and targeting sensors to precision munitions.
The Indian Defence Ministry has approved the procurement of weapons and military hardware worth Rs 2.38 crore, including S-400 missiles and medium transport aircraft, to bolster the Indian Air Force's capabilities.
In what is seen as a significant move, the DAP featured measures to reduce delay in procurement of essential items by the three services as it proposed a new enabling provision to acquire them through capital budget under a simplified procedure in a time-bound manner.
Pakistan is reportedly pursuing Chinese J-35 stealth fighters while China already operates hundreds of J-20 stealth aircraft.
Lieutenant General Seth's involvement in the army's capability development and modernisation efforts is evident from the key appointments he has held in the Strategic Planning and Capability Development Directorates, including Colonel Capability Development for Mechanised Forces, Brigadier Perspective Plans and Acquisition, and Additional Director General Capability Development.
The Indian Air Force is set to procure a compact, indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for its elite Special Forces unit, designed to operate in extreme conditions and high altitudes.
The Indian government is planning to develop an unmanned combat search and rescue aircraft for the Indian Air Force, designed to operate autonomously and in challenging terrains.
Key discussions focused on major defence procurements, including India's plan to acquire six additional P-8I aircraft for anti-submarine warfare. The deal, estimated at around Rs 30,000 crore, is under advanced negotiations.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has recently approved procurement proposals worth Rs 79,000 crore across three services and it has cleared AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) of Rs 3.3 trillion in financial year 2026 (FY26).
'If you go by the capital expenditure, this is a good defence budget. But we will have to see if the government can keep defence spending at 2 per cent or higher in 2027-2028.'
Tata Motors' commercial vehicle (CV) business is strategically repositioning itself from a traditional truck manufacturer to a comprehensive logistics and mobility platform, aiming to reduce dependence on cyclical vehicle demand by accelerating growth in digital, international, and services segments.
The Indian Defence Ministry has approved the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, a significant step towards bolstering the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities. The decision comes ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India.
Under Mission Sudarshan Chakra, the country's national security shield is to be expanded by 2035 to ensure comprehensive protection of both strategic and civilian critical infrastructure.
Five Indian Air Force personnel, including two officers, were killed when their Russian-origin Antonov An-32 transport aircraft crashed while landing at Jorhat in Assam on Saturday. The co-pilot sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved procurement of long range rockets, missiles, radar systems and military platforms worth Rs 79,000 crore to bolster the military's combat prowess.
'We won not (only) because we were able to carry out long-range precision strikes.' 'That is, of course, one of the reasons but we had better situational awareness about what's happening than Pakistan.'
In 2025-26, the government allocated Rs 6,81,210 crore for defence budget.
The Indian defence ministry has initiated a project to indigenously design and develop a 1000-kg aerial bomb for the Indian Air Force (IAF), aiming to enhance self-reliance in the defence sector.
Experts' worries intensified after Pakistan commissioned its first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine, PNS Hangor, last month.
'India has the capital to invest in defence production.' 'With clear timelines and commitments, private industry can deliver surge capacity effectively.'
Once operational, Ghatak could undertake deep-strike missions, penetrating heavily defended airspace to hit high-value targets without placing pilots at risk.
'The tools of warfare are changing. The MoD must deepen its engagement with technology thinkers that can present compelling visions of where warfare may be heading.'
If approved, the fighters would help the IAF to build its reducing squadrons, especially after the MiG-21 was decommissioned last year.
Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) has delivered the first batch of NEGEV 7.62x51 light machine guns to India under the 'Make in India' initiative, marking a significant step in India-Israel defence cooperation and indigenous defence manufacturing.
Defence Procurement Manual 2025 lays down the guiding principles for revenue procurements in the defence ministry worth around 1 trillion in a financial year.
The SCALP missiles were launched by the Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to take out the terrorist headquarters in Muridke and Bahawalpur districts of Pakistan.
Defence equipment should be chosen on the basis of technology-transfer and co-production considerations, K Subrahmanyam observes
Russia, being bogged down by the Ukraine war and prioritising the requirements of its own armed forces, along with India's consistent diversification policy, will remain a major challenge to the bilateral partnership, note Harsh V Pant and Aleksei Zakharov.
The Defence Acquisition Council on Wednesday approved proposals worth Rs 4,444 crore, including the purchase of four helicopters for survey vessels at Rs 2,324 crore, but deferred a decision on a joint bid of Tata Sons Ltd and Airbus for replacing IAF's Avro transport fleet.
Indian shipyards Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSEL), and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) are set for substantial growth, driven by a significant pipeline of Indian Navy orders and diversification into commercial and export markets. The Navy's share in defence spending is approximately 21 per cent, ensuring robust order visibility for these domestic players.
The largest tranche came in July, in the wake of Operation Sindoor, with the DAC according acceptance of necessity -- or initial approval -- for 10 capital acquisition proposals amounting to approximately 1.05 trillion through indigenous sourcing.
The conflict may disrupt Budget 2026-2027 projections, squeezing revenues and raising subsidies, prompting fiscal adjustments and potential reforms, echoing lessons from the Covid-era shock, points out A K Bhattacharya.
India's three major listed shipyards - Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSEL), and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) - are poised for substantial growth, driven by a robust order pipeline from the Indian Navy and diversification into commercial and export markets.
'Currently, it takes between two and three years to formulate the request for proposal for procuring specific military equipment for the armed forces. It should not be this way.'
The Army is also looking at strengthening the existing Pinaka regiments and had recently placed orders for buying the area denial ammunition for these rocket regiments.
