New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has announced a significant stride towards self-reliance in defence production by unveiling the fifth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) featuring 346 defence items. This move aims to bolster India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, emphasizing the production of crucial Line Replacement Units, Systems, Sub-Systems, Assemblies, Sub-Assemblies, Spares, Components, and raw materials. The total import substitution value of these items is estimated at Rs 1,048 crore, according to a statement released by the Ministry on Monday.

These newly listed items will now exclusively be sourced from Indian industries, adhering to specified indigenisation timelines available on the Srijan portal (https://srijandefence.gov.in). Launched in 2020, the Srijan portal facilitates defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) and Service Headquarters (SHQs) to offer defence items to domestic industries, including MSMEs and start-ups, for the purpose of indigenisation.

Under the fifth PIL, DPSUs such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), BEML Limited, India Optel Limited (IOL), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) are tasked with indigenising the listed defence items. This initiative is set to stimulate economic growth, attract increased investment in defence, and reduce dependency on imports.

The Ministry highlighted that involving academia and research institutions will enhance the design capabilities of India's defence industry. DPSUs have initiated the process by inviting Expressions of Interest and Requests for Proposal through their respective websites, accessible via the Srijan Portal Dashboard (srijandefence.gov.in/DashboardForPublic). The Ministry encourages widespread participation from industries, MSMEs, and start-ups.

Previously, the Department of Defence Production had notified four PILs comprising 4,666 items, of which 2,972, valued at Rs 3,400 crore for import substitution, have already been indigenised. These efforts complement the five positive indigenisation lists of 509 items notified by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), encompassing complex systems, sensors, weapons, and ammunition.

Since June 2024, over 36,000 defence items have been earmarked for indigenisation by DPSUs and SHQs, with more than 12,300 items successfully indigenised over the past three years. Consequently, DPSUs have placed orders worth Rs 7,572 crore on domestic vendors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advocacy for Aatmanirbhar Bharat has resulted in a record high of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in indigenous defence production for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. Furthermore, India's defence item exports for the financial year have exceeded Rs 21,000 crore, underscoring the nation's growing self-reliance in the global defence sector.

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