“Self-Reliance with Ownership”: India’s Defence Procurement Set for Major Overhaul, Preparing for a Decade of ‘JAI’

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is preparing for a major shift in India’s defence procurement policy. While India continues to pursue self-reliance in defence, the new approach aims to create capabilities that make the world dependent on India in the coming decade.

From ‘Made in India’ to Full Indigenous Ownership
Self-reliance has long been a cornerstone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India. Now, the government is redefining what self-reliance means. Under the new plan, the focus of defence acquisitions will shift from merely “Made in India” products to full indigenous ownership of weapons, tanks, fighter jets, drones, and missiles.

Draft DAP 2026: What’s New
On Tuesday, the Defence Ministry released the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 and invited comments from all stakeholders until 3 March 2026. The draft policy states clearly: “In the next decade, success will not be measured merely by ‘Made in India,’ but by systems owned by India.” In other words, India will retain sovereign control over any defence weapon or system developed in the country.

Full Sovereign Control over Defence Systems
The new draft policy ensures that even if a defence product is developed in India with foreign collaboration, all intellectual property, source code, critical design data, and rights to independently upgrade or modify the platform will remain fully with India. This marks a shift from simply producing foreign-origin equipment domestically to achieving complete operational and technological sovereignty.

What Ownership Means in Practice
Under the new DAP, whether India acquires foreign-origin tanks, warships, fighter jets, or modern drones, these assets will be fully owned by India. The armed forces will have the freedom to modify or upgrade them as per national requirements, without dependency on external entities.

A New Philosophy of Indigenous Defence
The DAP 2026 describes this transition as moving from the “initial phase of indigenisation” to a “strategic departure.” This approach frees India from legacy constraints associated with foreign-origin systems and positions the country as a global design powerhouse in defence technology.

India’s Next Decade in Defence
According to DAP 2026, the upcoming decade will be “the most crucial and decisive period in independent India’s defence history.” The policy introduces the ‘JAI’ framework, focusing on:

• Jointness – Integrated and coordinated defence capabilities.
• Atmanirbharta – Self-reliance with full ownership.
• Innovation – Cutting-edge research and development in defence technologies.

Currently, India follows the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020. Once DAP 2026 is approved, the entire defence procurement strategy will undergo a fundamental transformation.