> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # India Clears ₹2.12 Lakh Crore in Defence Procurement Proposals - URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/india-clears-2-12-lakh-crore-in-defence-procurement-proposals/ - Published: 2026-10-28T08:28:23.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-28T08:28:23.000Z - Description: India's Defence Acquisition Council has given in-principle approval to ₹2.12 lakh crore in proposed military purchases. The package covers long-range drones, artillery, air defence systems, helicopters and naval platforms, with approximately 82% expected to come from Indian industry. - Author: TGV Desk - Tags: India, that is Bharat, Indian Armed Forces, Defence Procurement, Rajnath Singh, Military Modernisation, Indigenous Defence Technology, Drone Warfare, Defence and Security, The Day So Far, Top Stories, has-audio India's latest military procurement approvals reveal a growing emphasis on protecting tanks from drones, detecting threats at low altitude and giving ground forces the ability to locate and strike targets from greater distances. Conventional artillery, helicopters and naval platforms remain central to the programme, but unmanned systems feature prominently in the government's newest acquisition plans. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved proposals worth approximately ₹2.12 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The [Ministry of Defence's October 26 announcement](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2328486&lang=2®=48&&ref=theglobalvoice.com) said about 82% of the proposed purchases would be sourced from Indian industry. The approvals constitute Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), an in-principle authorisation to advance procurement, rather than signed contracts. For the Army, the package includes long-range kamikaze drones, surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles, integrated surveillance and strike systems, and counter-drone equipment intended to protect tanks and other platforms. The combination reflects the increasingly difficult conditions facing mechanised forces. Small drones can identify vehicle positions, direct artillery fire and carry explosive payloads against targets that conventional armour was not originally designed to withstand. Platform-based counter-drone systems are intended to improve protection against such threats, while surveillance and strike drones would extend the Army's ability to identify and engage targets. The Army's conventional requirements have not diminished. The council also approved self-propelled tracked artillery, high-mobility vehicles, gunshot response systems, very short-range air defence weapons and light multi-role helicopters. The helicopters are intended for use by both the Army and Air Force, including reconnaissance, combat support, search and rescue, and disaster-relief operations. --- At sea, the Navy received approval for an Active Offboard Decoy System and additional indigenously designed naval platforms. The decoy system is intended to improve protection against anti-ship missiles by deploying countermeasures away from the vessel itself. The Air Force's proposals cover helicopters, air defence systems, weapons and mobile X-band Doppler weather radars for monitoring local conditions in forward areas. The procurement package follows an earlier [₹1.1-lakh-crore military modernisation approval](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/1-1-lakh-crore-military-upgrade-after-lessons-from-operation-sindoor/) in September. That round included mine-laying equipment, high-mobility vehicles, electronic warfare systems and radar capabilities, with approximately 98% of the proposed purchases expected to come from Indian industry. The successive approvals show how New Delhi is addressing surveillance, mobility, air defence and battlefield survivability across its armed forces. Some of these requirements are already moving from administrative approval to actual contracts. On October 21, the Defence Ministry signed a [₹770-crore agreement with Bharat Electronics Limited](https://www.theglobalvoice.com/bel-secures-770-crore-contract-for-indigenous-army-radars/) for indigenous low-level lightweight radars capable of detecting fighter-sized aircraft and smaller drones. Domestic production is also being accompanied by a push for more advanced research. At the [Navy's SWAVLAMBAN 2026 seminar](https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2328590&&ref=theglobalvoice.com), Singh called for stronger research capabilities and more resilient supply chains, acknowledging that India still depends on overseas sources for certain critical materials and technologies. The immediate challenge is converting approvals into equipment that armed forces can deploy. The ministry has not disclosed the quantities, suppliers, programme-wise costs or delivery schedules associated with the latest package. Those details will determine how quickly the proposed capabilities enter service, and how much of the programme Indian manufacturers can deliver.