With Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh declaring that a Request for Proposal (RFP) worth ₹30,000 crore for Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones will shortly be launched, India is getting ready to dramatically increase its domestic defense procurement efforts. Drones were highlighted as a major priority area in India’s changing defense goals during the announcement, which was made at the Network18 Reforms Reloaded 2025 forum in Delhi.
An important step in enhancing India’s autonomous surveillance and strike capabilities is the proposed RFP for MALE-class drones. It is anticipated that these UAVs will be essential to improving network-centric warfare, long-endurance missions, and border surveillance. The amount of money invested also shows that the government wants to promote large-scale manufacturing and involvement from both public and private companies.
Singh emphasized that contemporary conflicts depend on the widespread use of drones and large missiles, drawing on operational lessons learned from recent international conflicts. He clarified that although India has always used missiles sparingly, the nature of upcoming and protracted conflicts will necessitate larger stocks and quicker production. As a result, a more varied industrial base outside of conventional state-owned defense companies is required.
Over the next ten years, the government plans to maintain defense capital expenditures of $25–30 billion per year, with at least 75% of that amount going to domestic industry. Singh promised that India would “double down” on indigenization and strive for fully indigenous procurement when technological maturity levels allow. Drones, UAVs, underwater drones, satellite images, and precision weapons are crucial areas of concentration where India needs to close capability gaps.
Singh announced a change in policy to abandon order reservations, acknowledging that state-run companies like BDL and MIL have capacity constraints in the production of missiles and munitions. Future changes will prioritize open competitive bidding over contracts based on nominations. Additionally, in order to promote innovation, the Ministry of Defense is establishing start-up-specific sections by December 2025, with guarantees of procurement support for five years and streamlined capital expenditure documentation.
With last year’s allocation totally utilized and anticipation that this year’s budget will likewise be fully utilized, India’s defense budget execution is still strong. Singh estimated that this fiscal year’s projects would cost between ₹2 and ₹3 lakh crore. While a 10% increase is considered sufficient in the short term, the administration anticipates a sustainable yearly budget growth of 17–18% over the next five years.
Speaking about India’s air combat capability, Singh acknowledged that fifth-generation fighter jets might not be accessible anytime soon. But he emphasized that if more 4th and 4.5 generation planes were acquired and outfitted with cutting-edge armaments, the capability gap could be closed. This strategy aims to preserve deterrence until domestic initiatives like the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) are put into service.
Singh stated that India plans to sign contracts totaling ₹1.5 lakh crore in the near future and that another ₹75,000 crore is being considered for the pipeline. This comes after ₹2.09 lakh crore worth of projects were signed last year, a record the government hopes to meet or surpass this year.
Singh’s declarations highlight a strategic change in India’s defense ecosystem, moving away from reliance on imports and state domination and toward a framework that is more technologically advanced, competitive, and independent. The forthcoming ₹30,000 crore MALE drone RFP is probably going to be a prime illustration of India’s new procurement strategy, which combines competition, scale, and domestic industrial growth.
