India Defence Industry, R&D and Procurements

"Israel has reportedly proposed supplying India with the Golden Horizon Air-Launched Ballistic Missile (ALBM), a deep-strike weapon designed to target fortified and underground strategic facilities."

"The proposed system is understood to be derived from Israel’s Silver Sparrow, a target missile previously used in missile defence trials to simulate ballistic threats. Defence assessments suggest that the new variant has been adapted into an operational weapon capable of being launched from fighter aircraft."

~25 billion USD procurement cleared



The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on March 27, 2026, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for various proposals worth an estimated cost of about Rs 2.38 lakh crore. For the Indian Army, approval was accorded for the Air Defence Tracked System, Armoured Piercing Tank Ammunition, High Capacity Radio Relay, Dhanush Gun System and Runway Independent Aerial Surveillance System.


The Air Defence Tracked System will provide real time Air Defence Control and Reporting capability, while the High Capacity Radio Relay will provide reliable and fail proof communication. The Dhanush Gun System will enhance the artillery's capabilities to engage targets at longer ranges in all terrains with enhanced lethality and accuracy. The Runway Independent Aerial Surveillance System will provide surveillance capabilities to the Army units, with the Armoured Piercing Tank Ammunition enhancing the lethality of Anti-Tank ammunition.


For the Indian Air Force, proposals were cleared for the procurement of Medium Transport Aircraft, S-400 Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile System, Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft and overhaul of Su-30 Aero engine Aggregates. The induction of Medium Transport Aircraft by replacing the transport fleet of AN32 and IL76 will meet the strategic, tactical and operational airlift requirements of the Services.


The S-400 system will counter enemy long-range air vectors targeting vital areas, while the Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft will enable undertaking Offensive Counter and Coordinated Air Operations, also providing stealth Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance activities. The overhaul of Su-30 aero engine and its aggregates will increase the service life of the aircraft and fulfil the operational requirement of the Air Force.


For the Indian Coast Guard, AoN was accorded for Heavy Duty Air Cushion Vehicles. These vehicles will be used for multipurpose maritime coastal operational roles, including high-speed coastal patrolling, reconnaissance, search and rescue operations, rendering assistance to ships and carrying personnel and stores including logistics.


In the Financial Year 2025-26, AoN for 55 proposals amounting to Rs 6.73 lakh crore has been accorded by the DAC. Moreover, capital procurement contracts have been signed for 503 proposals amounting to Rs 2.28 lakh crore in the current fiscal year. Both the quantum of AoN given and capital contracts signed, so far, have been the highest in any given Financial Year.

This is India's first germanium-free thermal imaging system for drones. It was built right here in India by this Hyderabad-based startup - @EonSpacelabs.

And it is a huge deal.

Right now, India imports almost 100% of its germanium. No points for guessing which country controls the germanium supply chain (yup, it's China).

Now, building the lens is great. But that was only part of the solution. See, surveillance drones equipped with these EON Space Labs' imaging systems might get deployed in Kashmir's -20 degrees Celsius temperature or hot desserts of Rajasthan where temperatures can reach nearly 50 degrees Celsius. And in those conditions - lenses can either contract or expand slightly. But that slight change can hamper its ability to distinguish a rock from a human from a 2km distance - which can be critical.

To fix this - EON Space Labs has trained their AI which takes into account things like heat intensity, along with spatial and temporal recognition patterns. Oh and btw - they've also built India's lightest space telescope called MIRA - which weighs just 500 gms and has the ability to capture and process the image in space - instead of sending it back on Earth.