Defexpo 2022: India announces fourth ‘indigenisation list'

India conducted the first flight test of its Pralay surface-to-surface missile in December 2021. The MoD said on 19 October that it wants to fully indigenise the missile by December 2026. (Defence Research and Development Organisation)

India has announced another ‘positive indigenisation list' to support its long-running effort to reduce dependency on defence imports.

The new list – the fourth to be issued by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) since August 2020 – identifies 101 products that New Delhi wants to source only from local sources. The list was announced at the Defexpo 2022 exhibition being held from 18 to 22 October in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The MoD said the new list “lays special focus on equipment [and] systems, which are being developed and likely to translate into firm orders in the next five to 10 years”.

According to the list, the MoD intends to progressively indigenise the products from December 2022 until December 2032. As indicated by the MoD, all the products are at various stages of development in India's defence technology and industrial base.

Products designated for indigenisation from December 2022 include next-generation frigates and remote-control support systems for naval ships.

Products designated for indigenisation from December 2023 and December 2024 include shipborne gun-direction fire-control radars, full-motion simulators for India's Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, mine countermeasure vessels, and an electronic warfare (EW) system for the Indian Navy's Kamov Ka-31 helicopters.

Products from 2025 and beyond include the Pralay surface-to-surface missile system, sensors for fighter aircraft, 105 mm blank ammunition, light armoured multi-purpose vehicles, landing platform docks, a long-range anti-ship missile, a medium-range maritime patrol aircraft, 127 mm and 30 mm naval guns, and a high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).