What Happened
- The Ministry of Defence released the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 for public consultation, seeking comments and suggestions from various stakeholders
- The government stated that the draft aims to align defence acquisition with the "rapidly evolving geo-strategic landscape" and emerging security challenges
- Key features include spiral designing and procurement of major platforms, protocols for fast-evolving technologies such as AI and directed energy weapons, and exploitation of modern technology before bulk procurement
- The document introduces aggressive digitisation and automation in acquisition processes alongside incentives for innovation and indigenous IP retention
- Comments are invited by 3 March 2026, after which the procedure will replace DAP-2020
Static Topic Bridges
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and the Procurement Decision Chain
The DAC is the highest decision-making body for capital defence acquisitions in India. It was constituted in 2001 following the recommendations of the Group of Ministers post the Kargil War Review Committee report.
- DAC is chaired by the Defence Minister; members include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Service Chiefs, Defence Secretary, Secretary (Defence Production), Secretary (Defence Finance), and DRDO Chairman
- The procurement chain: Services Qualitative Requirements (SQR) → Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) by DAC → Request for Proposal (RFP) → Technical Evaluation → Commercial Negotiation → Approval by Competent Financial Authority (CFA) → Contract
- For acquisitions above Rs 2,000 crore, CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) approval is required
- The CDS and Department of Military Affairs (DMA), created in 2019, are responsible for promoting jointness in procurement across the three services
- DAC meets periodically; recent meetings have approved procurement of submarines, fighter aircraft, missile systems, and naval vessels
Connection to this news: DAP-2026 proposes streamlining the acquisition chain through delegation of decision-making powers at lower levels and reduced approval timelines, addressing a persistent criticism that India's defence procurement is too slow.
Emerging Defence Technologies — AI, Quantum, Autonomous Systems, and Directed Energy Weapons
Modern warfare increasingly relies on technologies beyond traditional platforms. DAP-2026 is the first Indian procurement framework to formally create dedicated protocols for these emerging domains.
- Artificial Intelligence in Defence: Defence AI Council (DAIC) and Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA) were established under MoD; India's AI in defence focuses on autonomous surveillance, predictive maintenance, and cyber warfare
- Quantum Computing: Strategic applications include unbreakable encryption (quantum key distribution), sensing, and computing for logistics/simulation; National Quantum Mission (2023) has Rs 6,003 crore outlay
- Autonomous Systems: Include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and autonomous ground platforms; India has developed TAPAS, Archer, and Rustom-II drones
- Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): Include high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves; DRDO has been developing DEW prototypes for air defence and counter-drone applications
- These technologies have shorter development cycles compared to traditional platforms (aircraft, ships, tanks), requiring faster procurement protocols
Connection to this news: DAP-2026 introduces "exclusive procedures for faster acquisition of equipment with short technological cycles," directly addressing the mismatch between rapid technology evolution and India's traditionally lengthy procurement timelines.
Strategic Partnership Model and Private Sector in Defence
The Strategic Partnership (SP) Model was introduced in DPP-2016 (Chapter VII) to foster long-term partnerships between Indian private companies and global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for manufacturing complex defence platforms in India.
- Four segments identified: fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines, and armoured fighting vehicles/main battle tanks
- Indian Strategic Partners are selected through a competitive process; they partner with foreign OEMs for technology transfer
- The model aims to create a domestic industrial ecosystem beyond the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) — HAL, BEL, BDL, BEML, MDL, GSL, GRSE, HSL, and Yantra India
- Recent examples: Project 75(I) submarine programme under SP Model; AMCA fighter aircraft programme shortlisted three private sector-led consortia (L&T, TASL, Bharat Forge)
- DAP-2026 proposes easing financial and experience criteria to enable broader participation of MSMEs and startups
Connection to this news: The draft procedure reinforces the shift toward private sector participation in defence manufacturing while maintaining indigenous design and IP ownership as key selection criteria.
Key Facts & Data
- DAP-2026 feedback deadline: 3 March 2026 (email: secy-dap2025@gov.in or tmls-mod@nic.in)
- India's defence budget 2025-26: Rs 6.81 lakh crore (total); capital outlay approximately Rs 1.80 lakh crore
- Defence exports target: $5 billion by 2025 under DPEPP 2020
- Four positive indigenisation lists: 509 items under import embargo with progressive timelines
- DPSUs (9 companies) and 41 ordnance factories (corporatised as seven DPSUs in October 2021)
- iDEX has funded over 400 innovations by startups and MSMEs since 2018
- National Quantum Mission (2023-2031): Rs 6,003 crore outlay