Science & Technology
Space and Defence Technology
Defence Technology and Indigenisation: DRDO, Platforms and Aatmanirbhar Bharat
DRDO, Tejas, INS Vikrant, Arihant and Kalvari submarines, iDEX, defence corridors, indigenisation lists, record exports (FY 2025-26) and Bhilai's warship steel.
Prerequisites
- Missiles and Strategic Systems — the missile families and test sites referred to here.
- Industrial Policy and MSMEs — Make in India and the role of MSMEs in supply chains.
The Hook: Bhilai Steel in an Aircraft Carrier
Connect
When INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, was commissioned on 2 September 2022, its hull and flight deck were built from special DMR-grade warship steel that India once imported from Russia. That steel was developed by SAIL with the Navy and the DRDO’s Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, and the Bhilai Steel Plant in Durg was among the SAIL plants that rolled the plates.
So a piece of Chhattisgarh sails with the Navy. How does India build its own weapons and platforms, and how far has “self-reliance in defence” really gone? This page answers both — the facts for Prelims and the evaluation for Mains.
Why it matters: Prelims asks about platforms (Tejas, Vikrant, Kalvari), institutions (DRDO, iDEX) and figures (exports, FDI cap). Mains asks you to evaluate defence indigenisation and dual-use technology.
DRDO and the Defence Ecosystem
| Body | Key facts |
|---|---|
| DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation, रक्षा अनुसंधान एवं विकास संगठन) | Formed in 1958 by merging the Technical Development Establishments, the Directorate of Technical Development and Production, and the Defence Science Organisation. Works under the Department of Defence R&D, Ministry of Defence; a network of laboratories across the country |
| Defence PSUs | HAL (aircraft, helicopters), BEL (electronics, radars), BDL (missiles), Mazagon Dock (submarines, destroyers), Garden Reach (ships), Cochin Shipyard (Vikrant, though under the Ministry of Ports), BEML and others |
| Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) | Dissolved; its factories were corporatised into seven new DPSUs from 1 October 2021 (e.g. Munitions India Ltd, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd) |
| Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) | Post created from 1 Jan 2020 (first CDS: Gen Bipin Rawat); heads the Department of Military Affairs; promotes jointness and theatre commands |
Major Indigenous Platforms
Air
| Platform | Facts |
|---|---|
| Tejas (LCA) | Light Combat Aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and built by HAL. First IAF squadron (No. 45, “Flying Daggers”) in 2016. Improved Mk1A on order; Mk2 in development |
| AMCA | Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft — India’s planned fifth-generation stealth fighter (ADA). An execution model allowing private-sector partners to bid was approved in 2025 |
| LCH “Prachand” | Light Combat Helicopter (HAL), inducted in Oct 2022; built for high-altitude operations |
| ALH “Dhruv” | Advanced Light Helicopter (HAL), used by all three services and the Coast Guard |
| Netra AEW&C | Airborne early-warning aircraft with a DRDO radar |
Sea
| Platform | Facts |
|---|---|
| INS Vikrant (IAC-1) | First indigenous aircraft carrier; built by Cochin Shipyard; commissioned 2 Sep 2022 at Kochi. A new naval ensign (dropping the St George’s Cross) was unveiled the same day |
| INS Arihant class | Indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs): Arihant (2016), Arighaat (Aug 2024), Aridhaman (Apr 2026) — see Missiles |
| Project 75 — Kalvari class | Six Scorpene diesel-electric submarines built by Mazagon Dock with France’s Naval Group; the sixth, INS Vaghsheer, was commissioned on 15 Jan 2025 |
| Project 17A — Nilgiri class | Stealth frigates built at Mazagon Dock and GRSE |
| INS Vikrant name | Reuses the name of India’s first carrier (bought from Britain, 1961), which served in the 1971 war |
Land
| Platform | Facts |
|---|---|
| Arjun | Main battle tank (DRDO’s CVRDE, Avadi) |
| Pinaka | Multi-barrel rocket launcher (DRDO); exported (Armenia among the buyers) |
| ATAGS | Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (DRDO with private industry) |
| Dhanush | Towed howitzer based on the Bofors design, from the ordnance factories |
| K9 Vajra | Self-propelled howitzer built by L&T under licence from South Korea |
Policy for Self-Reliance (आत्मनिर्भर भारत in defence)
| Measure | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) | 2018 | Grants and challenges for start-ups and MSMEs to solve defence problems; run by the Defence Innovation Organisation |
| Defence Industrial Corridors | Announced 2018 | Uttar Pradesh (nodes: Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow) and Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem, Tiruchirappalli) |
| Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 | 2020 | Top priority to “Buy (Indian-IDDM)” — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured |
| Positive Indigenisation Lists | First list Aug 2020 | Items the services will buy only from Indian industry after set dates; several lists since, for both services and DPSUs |
| FDI in defence | 2020 | Up to 74% through the automatic route; beyond 74% through the government route where it brings modern technology |
| Domestic procurement share | Ongoing | A large and rising share of the capital acquisition budget is reserved for domestic industry |
| DRDO technology transfer | Ongoing | Patents and technology transferred to industry at low or no fee; Technology Development Fund for MSMEs |
Results (dated figures)
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Defence exports, FY 2025-26 | Record ₹38,424 crore, up about 63% from ₹23,622 crore in FY 2024-25 (Ministry of Defence, April 2026). DPSUs about 55%, private industry about 45%; exports to more than 80 countries |
| Defence exports, FY 2023-24 | ₹21,083 crore |
| Export target | ₹50,000 crore by 2029 (government target) |
| Showcase exports | BrahMos to the Philippines; Pinaka, Akash-family and artillery systems to friendly countries; radars, patrol vessels, ammunition, body armour |
Operation Sindoor as a test of indigenous systems
On 7 May 2025, after the Pahalgam terror attack (22 Apr 2025), India launched Operation Sindoor — precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. During the following days, an integrated air defence network (IACCS) combining imported systems (S-400) with indigenous ones (Akash, radars, counter-drone systems) dealt with drone and missile attacks, while BrahMos was among the strike weapons. A cessation of hostilities was agreed on 10 May 2025.
For Mains, Sindoor is cited as evidence that indigenisation, network-centric warfare and counter-drone capability matter — and as a reminder of continued dependence on imported platforms and components. Keep to these established facts; avoid unverified claims about losses.
Emerging and Dual-Use Technologies
| Technology | Indian example / note |
|---|---|
| Drones and counter-drones | Indigenous surveillance drones (e.g. DRDO’s Rustom/TAPAS family); loitering munitions made by Indian firms; DRDO anti-drone systems |
| Directed-energy weapons | High-power laser in the IADWS test (Aug 2025) |
| Hypersonics | HSTDV (2020), LRHM (Nov 2024) |
| Space for defence | Defence Space Agency (2019); military satellites GSAT-7/7A; ASAT test (2019) |
| Cyber | Defence Cyber Agency (2019) |
| AI and quantum | DRDO’s Young Scientist Labs (2020) in AI, quantum, cognitive technologies, asymmetric technologies and smart materials |
Chhattisgarh angle
- Bhilai Steel Plant (SAIL, Durg) is among the SAIL units that supplied DMR-grade warship plates (Grades 249A/249B) for INS Vikrant and other warships — import substitution in a strategic material.
- Chhattisgarh’s left-wing extremism (LWE)-affected districts, especially in Bastar, have seen central armed police and state forces use drones, satellite imagery and secure communication for surveillance and operations — a practical example of defence and space technology serving internal security.
- The state’s mineral belt (iron ore of Bailadila, coal of Korba) feeds the steel and energy chains that defence manufacturing depends on.
Use one of these to localise a Mains answer on self-reliance.
Evaluation for Mains: How Self-Reliant Are We?
| Achievements | Gaps |
|---|---|
| Missiles, radars, Tejas, Vikrant, SSBNs, artillery and rocket systems designed and built in India | Aero-engines (Tejas uses US GE engines; the indigenous Kaveri project fell short), advanced semiconductors and some sensors are imported |
| Record exports (₹38,424 crore, FY 2025-26) | India remains among the world’s largest arms importers |
| Private sector now ~45% of exports; iDEX start-ups | Delays and cost overruns (Arjun, Tejas, LCH timelines); DPSU delivery lags |
| Corridors in UP and Tamil Nadu | Low R&D spending share; weak industry–academia links |
Way forward: jet-engine co-development, stable long-term orders for private firms, faster trials, testing infrastructure open to industry, and export financing.
Memory Tricks
'Vikrant 2-9-22, Vaghsheer 15-1-25, Aridhaman 3-4-26'
Three dated naval milestones: first indigenous carrier, last of six Kalvari-class submarines, third SSBN.
Defence corridors: 'UP 6, TN 5'
UP — Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow (“AACJKL”). Tamil Nadu — Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem, Tiruchirappalli.
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| ADA — designs Tejas | vs | HAL — builds Tejas |
| INS Vikrant (2022) — indigenous carrier, Cochin Shipyard | vs | INS Vikramaditya (2013) — refitted Russian carrier (ex-Admiral Gorshkov) |
| Kalvari class — conventional (diesel-electric) Scorpene submarines | vs | Arihant class — nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines |
| iDEX — start-up innovation scheme | vs | DAP 2020 — procurement rulebook (“Buy Indian-IDDM”) |
| Defence Space Agency (space) | vs | Defence Cyber Agency (cyber) — both 2019 |
Common Mistakes
MCQ traps
- “INS Vikrant was built by Mazagon Dock.” False. It was built by Cochin Shipyard, Kochi.
- “Tejas is fully indigenous, including its engine.” False. It flies on a US GE engine; the Kaveri engine programme did not meet requirements.
- “FDI in defence is capped at 49%.” Outdated. Since 2020 it is up to 74% via the automatic route.
- “The Ordnance Factory Board was privatised.” False. It was corporatised into seven government-owned DPSUs (2021).
- “Defence exports in FY 2025-26 crossed ₹50,000 crore.” False. They were ₹38,424 crore; ₹50,000 crore is the 2029 target.
Practice
All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- INS Vikrant was commissioned on ______ 2022.
- The DRDO was formed in the year ______.
- Under DAP 2020, the highest procurement priority is “Buy (Indian-______)”.
Answers
- 2 September 2022.
- 1958.
- IDDM — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured.
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- FDI up to 74% in the defence sector is permitted through the automatic route.
- The Ordnance Factory Board was converted into seven defence public sector undertakings in 2021.
- India’s defence exports in FY 2025-26 were below ₹25,000 crore.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
(b) 1 and 2 only. Statement 3 is wrong: exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26 (the ₹23,622 crore figure is for FY 2024-25). Statements 1 and 2 are correct (FDI policy 2020; OFB corporatised 1 Oct 2021).
Q2. Match List I (Platform) with List II (Builder / designer):
| List I | List II |
|---|---|
| A. INS Vikrant | 1. Mazagon Dock (with Naval Group) |
| B. Kalvari-class submarines | 2. Cochin Shipyard |
| C. Tejas | 3. HAL |
| D. Prachand (LCH) | 4. ADA (design) and HAL (production) |
- (a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (b) A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
- (c) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
- (d) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
Answer and explanation
(a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3. Vikrant was built by Cochin Shipyard; the six Scorpene-based Kalvari submarines by Mazagon Dock with France’s Naval Group; Tejas was designed by ADA and is built by HAL; the Light Combat Helicopter Prachand is an HAL product.
Q3. The Defence Industrial Corridors announced in 2018 are located in:
- (a) Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
- (b) Gujarat and Maharashtra
- (c) Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka
- (d) Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
Answer and explanation
(a) Uttar Pradesh (six nodes, including Kanpur, Lucknow and Jhansi) and Tamil Nadu (five nodes, including Chennai, Coimbatore and Hosur).
Q4. Which of the following is the main gap that keeps India’s fighter-aircraft programme dependent on imports?
- (a) Airframe design
- (b) Flight-control software
- (c) Jet engines
- (d) Air-to-air missiles
Answer and explanation
(c) Jet engines. Tejas flies on a US GE engine because the indigenous Kaveri engine fell short of requirements. India designs its airframes and flight controls (ADA) and has its own BVR missile (Astra).
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. (150–200 words) “India is moving from being an arms importer to an arms exporter.” Critically examine.
Model answer outline
- Intro: Record defence exports of ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26 (+~63%), to 80+ countries.
- Evidence for: BrahMos to the Philippines; artillery and rocket systems abroad; Vikrant, Arihant-class SSBNs, Tejas, Akash; private sector ~45% of exports; policy push (DAP 2020 IDDM, positive indigenisation lists, 74% FDI, iDEX, UP and TN corridors, OFB corporatisation).
- Evidence against: still among the world’s largest importers; engines, semiconductors and key sensors imported; delays and cost overruns; low R&D spending.
- Chhattisgarh angle: Bhilai’s DMR-grade warship steel shows how strategic materials can be indigenised.
- Way forward: jet-engine co-development, long-term orders, open test ranges, export credit.
- Conclusion: The trend is real but incomplete — India is a rising exporter that is still a major importer.
Q2. (100 words) What are dual-use technologies? Give two examples from India’s space and defence programmes.
Model answer outline
- Definition: technologies with both civilian and military uses, which is why they are covered by export-control regimes (MTCR, Wassenaar).
- Examples: (1) rocket propulsion and guidance — SLV-3 led to IGMDP missiles; (2) satellite imaging and navigation — Cartosat/RISAT and NavIC serve farmers and soldiers alike; (3) drones — crop spraying and surveillance.
- Conclusion: Dual use makes investment efficient but requires responsible export controls.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| DRDO | 1958; Department of Defence R&D |
| CDS | From 1 Jan 2020; first Gen Bipin Rawat; Department of Military Affairs |
| OFB | Corporatised into 7 DPSUs, 1 Oct 2021 |
| Tejas | ADA design, HAL build; IAF squadron 2016; US GE engine |
| AMCA | Fifth-generation stealth fighter; private-partner model approved 2025 |
| LCH Prachand | Inducted Oct 2022 |
| INS Vikrant | Cochin Shipyard; commissioned 2 Sep 2022; new naval ensign |
| Kalvari class | 6 Scorpene submarines (Mazagon Dock); last, Vaghsheer, 15 Jan 2025 |
| iDEX | 2018; start-ups and MSMEs |
| Defence corridors | UP (6 nodes) and Tamil Nadu (5 nodes), 2018 |
| DAP 2020 | “Buy (Indian-IDDM)” top priority |
| FDI | 74% automatic route (2020) |
| Exports | ₹38,424 crore (FY 2025-26, record); target ₹50,000 crore by 2029 |
| Operation Sindoor | 7 May 2025; cessation 10 May 2025 |
| Defence Space / Cyber Agency | Both 2019 |
| CG angle | Bhilai Steel Plant’s DMR-grade warship steel for Vikrant |
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- DRDO (1958) plus DPSUs and, increasingly, private firms make up India’s defence-industrial base.
- Flagship indigenous platforms: Tejas, Prachand, INS Vikrant, Arihant-class SSBNs, Akash, Pinaka.
- Policy levers: DAP 2020 (IDDM), positive indigenisation lists, 74% FDI, iDEX, UP and TN corridors, OFB corporatisation.
- Exports hit a record ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26, but engines and electronics remain import gaps.
- Chhattisgarh contributes strategic materials — Bhilai’s warship steel is the best local example.
What’s Next
- Space and Defence Technology — Quick Revision — the whole chapter on one page
- Minerals, Energy and Industries of Chhattisgarh — Bhilai Steel Plant and the state’s mineral base
- Industrial Policy and MSMEs — Make in India and the MSME supply chain behind defence
- Biotechnology — the next chapter in Science and Technology
Advertisement