New Delhi: Following Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s decision to open the conventional missile manufacturing sector to Indian private industry through Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) technology transfers, the central government is actively identifying commercial partners to build advanced strike systems. Under this initiative, private defence entities will manufacture the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM)—which boasts a strike range of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres—alongside the 150-to-500-kilometre range Pralay quasi-ballistic tactical missile.
The policy shift builds on existing procurement initiatives, including Requests for Proposals recently issued to the private sector for Astra Mark I and Mark II beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles. Major domestic manufacturers, including Bharat Forge, ICOMM Hyderabad, and Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited, alongside public-sector units like Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited, are slated to participate in the manufacturing of several key platforms. These systems encompass the Next Generation Anti-Radiation Missile, the Rudram-II hypersonic air-to-ground missile, precision glide bombs such as the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon and one-tonne Long Range Glide Bombs, UAV-launched munitions, and diverse short-to-medium range naval anti-ship and air-defence systems.
The inclusion of private enterprise in conventional munitions is viewed as a crucial foundation before potentially opening strategic missile assembly, as private vendors already supply around 50 vital subsystems for missile integration. Officials emphasize that decentralizing production beyond state laboratories will substantially scale output volumes, strengthen the broader supplier network, reinforce the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ self-reliance vision, and significantly expand India’s domestic military-industrial base.
