Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called upon the Indian defence industry to prioritize the development of innovative and flexible manufacturing strategies during the 8th annual session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers in New Delhi. Addressing the sector, he stressed that the ability to rapidly scale up production capacity is critical to meeting operational demands during times of conflict or emergency.

Expanding Private Output And Export Goals

The policy directives outlined by the ministry emphasize structural shifts in domestic output and export volumes.

Here are the key figures and targets:

Current private sector contribution to total defence production stands at 24%, with an official target to raise this share to 50%.

Defence exports for the 2025-26 financial year reached Rs 38,424 crore, marking a growth of over 60% compared to the previous financial year.

The long-term objective is to achieve annual defence exports of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029.

Streamlining Testing Access For Indigenous Firms

The Minister underscored that achieving self-reliance is a strategic necessity for national security and reducing foreign import reliance.

The Ministry of Defence introduced a revised Standard Operating Procedure to simplify access for the domestic defence industry to proof ranges and laboratory testing facilities.

Key provisions of the revised testing framework include:

Proof and testing fees are waived for government-backed projects under the Technology Development Fund, Innovations for Defence Excellence, and Make projects.

The procedure reserves a three-day slot every quarter at proof ranges specifically for government-sponsored developmental projects and independent indigenous efforts.

A conciliation agreement clause replaces the existing arbitration clause to resolve issues between the industry and authorities more quickly.

These procedural changes aim to support smaller companies and startups that lack dedicated testing infrastructure while transforming India into a global hub for defence manufacturing.