On July 1, 2025, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, will meet to examine two significant defense procurement proposals that are essential to enhancing India’s air and maritime defense capabilities.
The first proposal, which is estimated to be worth ₹44,000 crore, requests approval for the Indian Navy to build 12 sophisticated Mine Countermeasure Vessels (MCMVs) domestically.
This effort coincides with growing dangers from Chinese and Pakistani submarines, which are both capable of deploying underwater mines in the Indian Ocean Region without detection, thereby endangering India’s ports, harbors, and commercial shipping routes.
Given that the Indian Navy currently lacks any operational minesweepers due to the retirement of its former Karwar-class and Pondicherry-class vessels, the MCMVs’ ability to detect, track, and neutralize underwater mines is a crucial requirement.
The new ships will be equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as unmanned underwater vehicles for safe mine disposal, acoustic and magnetic sweeps, and high-definition sonar. These ships’ non-magnetic hulls and modular mine-clearing systems will enable them to function effectively and covertly in both deep-sea and coastal environments.
The project will be carried out by Indian shipyards through an open tender process, in accordance with the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative. However, it is anticipated that the first vessel may take at least seven to eight years to deliver after the contract is signed.
Concurrently, the DAC will examine a proposal worth ₹30,000 crore for the purchase of three regiments of the Indian Army’s Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) system.
Designed to provide last-layer air defense against aerial threats within a range of 3 to 30 kilometers, the QRSAM was created by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in partnership with Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics.
The purpose of this purchase is to greatly improve the Army’s capacity to protect vital assets and formations from enemy drones, helicopters, and aircraft. The agreement is a significant step toward increasing domestic air defense capabilities, though the final decision regarding the number of regiments to be purchased is still pending.
In light of changing regional security threats, both proposals highlight India’s pressing need to update its defense infrastructure.
In particular, reviving the minesweeper project fills a long-standing capability gap and is anticipated to be crucial to safeguarding India’s 7,500-kilometer coastline, important ports, and essential maritime trade routes.
The decisions made by the DAC on July 1 will be a major step forward for India’s efforts to become self-sufficient and operationally prepared in the areas of land-based and naval defense.
