Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) secured procurement approvals valued at approximately INR 1.30 trillion in 2025 for the induction of domestically developed defence systems, marking the highest value cleared in any single year. The approvals were accorded through 22 Acceptance of Necessity decisions, enabling large-scale manufacturing by Indian industry and signalling a significant expansion of the defence production pipeline.
DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat said the Acceptance of Necessity approvals were granted by the Defence Acquisition Council and the Services Procurement Board for multiple systems developed by the organisation. He said the approvals cover a wide spectrum of land, air, and naval platforms and are intended to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities while supporting the induction of new-generation systems into the armed forces.
Among the systems that received Acceptance of Necessity during the year are the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System, Conventional Ballistic Missile System, Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile System Anant Shastra, Long Range Air-to-Surface Supersonic Cruise Missile, Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System Mk II, Astra Mk-II beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Anti-Tank NAG Missile System Tracked Mk-2, Advanced Lightweight Torpedo, Processor-Based Moored Mine Next Generation, Airborne Early Warning and Control Mk-1A, mountain radars, and a full mission simulator for the Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A.
Alongside the approvals, DRDO signed 11 acquisition contracts in 2025 with production partners, with a cumulative value of INR 260 billion. These contracts cover systems including the Nag missile system, Ashwini low-level transportable radar, air defence fire control radar, electronic warfare suite for Mi-17 V5 helicopters, area denial munitions, high explosive pre-fragmented munitions for the Pinaka multiple launch rocket system, infantry foot bridge floating systems, wargaming systems, automatic chemical agent detectors, and the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System.
Several systems developed by DRDO were delivered, inducted, or handed over to user agencies during the year, including to the Central Armed Police Forces, police organisations, and the National Disaster Response Force. User evaluation trials were completed or reached final stages for platforms such as the Pralay surface-to-surface missile, Akash New Generation surface-to-air missile, guided extended range Pinaka rockets, man portable anti-tank guided missile, electronic warfare systems for plains and deserts, border surveillance systems, and software defined radios for the Indian Army.
DRDO also reported progress across its development pipeline, with multiple systems at advanced stages of developmental trials, including the Indian light tank, very short-range air defence systems, long range land attack cruise missile, Rudram-2 air-to-surface missile, long range glide bomb Gaurav, and onboard oxygen generating system-centric integrated life support system for the Light Combat Aircraft.
The Chairman said DRDO continued to expand industry participation, with 2,201 licensing agreements for transfer of technology executed to date, including 245 signed in 2025. Test facilities were opened to industry, resulting in more than 4,000 tests conducted for private companies and defence public sector undertakings during the year.
DRDO is India’s defence research agency responsible for the design and development of weapons systems, sensors, platforms, and strategic technologies, working with the armed forces, industry partners, and academic institutions to support domestic defence manufacturing.
