Ministry of Defence Unveils Draft Defence Acquisition Procedure-2026 to Boost Indigenous Manufacturing and Force Modernisation

India’s Ministry of Defence has released the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2026, aimed at accelerating jointness, self-reliance, integration, and modernisation of armed forces, while fostering domestic defence manufacturing and technological innovation.

New Delhi, February 11, 2026:The draft DAP-2026, once approved, will replace the current Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020. It is designed to align India’s defence procurement with the rapidly evolving geo-strategic environment, economic growth, and technological imperatives of modern warfare, while promoting the skilling of human capital and expansion of private defence industry in the country.

A key focus of DAP-2026 is institutionalised preference for the ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ category Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured equipment aimed at reducing imports and boosting domestic manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The draft also proposes categorising procurement based on technological availability and manufacturing readiness, enabling faster acquisition of equipment with short technology cycles and spiral design processes.

The procedure outlines pragmatic evaluation of Indigenous Content (IC) and Indigenous Design (ID) content, utilisation of domestic military material, and exploitation of modern technologies before bulk procurement. Financial and experience criteria for participation will be eased, decision-making delegated for quicker acquisitions, and trials and quality assurance processes revamped. Digitisation and automation will be aggressively infused into acquisition processes, alongside incentives for innovation and retention of intellectual property rights.

Officials say the draft DAP-2026 is expected to boost domestic defence production, increase exports, and restrict imports to only critical or domestically unavailable equipment. The document, including a handbook with guidelines and annexures, has been uploaded on the Ministry of Defence website, with stakeholders invited to submit comments within three weeks by March 3, 2026 via designated email channels.

The Ministry clarified that while the Defence Procurement Manual 2025 deals with revenue expenditure for maintenance and sustenance of equipment, the DAP governs capital procurement of platforms and systems. DAP-2026 is envisioned as a blueprint integrating national security with technological growth, laying the foundation for Viksit Bharat-2047.

Follow us On Our Social media Handles :
Instagram
Youtube
Facebook
Twitter

Also Read- Pune