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India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation is widening private-sector participation in missile and guided-weapon programmes by inviting Indian companies to become Development-cum-Production Partners for projects under its Missiles and Strategic Systems Cluster. The move could significantly expand the country’s industrial capacity for producing advanced indigenous weapons.
The Indian Navy is preparing the groundwork for a new generation of large indigenous guided-missile destroyers that would follow the Project 15B Visakhapatnam class. Often referred to in defence reporting as “Project 18”, the programme remains at the planning stage, but official statements from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited indicate an initial requirement for four ships and a potential programme value in the ₹70,000–80,000 crore range.
Balu Forge Industries Limited (BFIL) has secured its first commercial purchase order for advanced 155mm Extended Range Full Bore Base Bleed and Boat Tail artillery shells, marking another step in the expansion of India’s private-sector large-calibre ammunition manufacturing base. The initial order covers a pilot supply of 10,000 units, after which deliveries are expected to continue on a monthly basis.
The Indian Navy has added a new generation of live-fire training infrastructure with the induction of a 25-metre Containerised Small Arms Firing Range at INS Tanaji in Mumbai. Developed by Hyderabad-based Zen Technologies, the facility has been described by the company as India’s first AI-enabled Containerised Small Arms Firing Range and is designed to provide realistic, all-weather weapons training close to operational naval establishments.
The decisions were announced following talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in New Delhi on August 20, 2026. The meeting came amid growing strategic uncertainty across the Indo-Pacific and reflected the steadily expanding security dimension of the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
The company describes its objective as developing unmanned aerospace systems for global markets from India, with programmes intended for organisations including the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Response Force and Department of Telecommunications.
The discussions covered the entire gamut of ongoing defence and military technical cooperation, with particular emphasis on capacity building, training, military technical cooperation and defence research and development (R&D). The two sides also exchanged the Terms of Reference for institutionalising Joint Services Staff Talks between the Indian and Armenian Armed Forces.
Taken together, these developments show that India is no longer looking merely for another imported fighter engine. The larger objective is to acquire the capability to design, develop, test, manufacture, upgrade and support advanced gas turbines inside India.
The agreement was signed in Yerevan on August 17, 2026, during an official visit by Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. He held a series of meetings with Armenia’s political, defence and military leadership during the two-day visit.
The Department of Defence Production said the items together represent an estimated business potential of around ₹3,070 crore for Indian manufacturers. Once successfully developed domestically, these products will be procured from Indian industry instead of being sourced from overseas suppliers.
