The Department of Defence has prepared the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2026 to promote Jointness, Self-reliance, and Integration, as well as Force Modernization. The Ministry of Defence has stated that the draft will enable faster acquisition processes, scaling of production, and the growth and development of the country's ecosystem. The proposed draft aims to align the country's defence acquisition with the rapidly evolving geostrategic landscape, economic growth, human capital development, the growth of the private defence industry, and the technological imperatives of modern warfare in the country. The Ministry also added that the proposed draft will ensure categorization and procurement strategies based on technological availability and manufacturing readiness, procurement of major platforms, the exploitation of modern technology before bulk procurement, and the utilization of indigenous military materials, among other things. The DAP will boost defence manufacturing and exports, along with restrictions on imports to domestically unavailable and critical equipment only. It intends to weave the security of the nation and technological growth into a single thread and create the foundation for Viksit Bharat-2047. The Ministry further informed that it seeks suggestions on the draft DAP-2026 from stakeholders by the 3rd of the next month, as per the prescribed format on its website.
