India’s efforts since 2014 to go self-reliant on major platforms for the armed forces have witnessed mixed results. But the journey has been good till now and more needs to be done for the Intellectual Property creators in the defence sector, argues Lt Gen VK Saxena (Rtd), a former Indian Army Air Defence Director General.
The US Army’s online marketplace for buying drones for military use is expanding rapidly to add 33 nations, even as War Secretary Pete Hegseth pegged the funding for mass production of unmanned systems to meet the American military needs roughly $50 billion.
With the National Cadet Corps (NCC) strength targeted to grow from 1.7 million to 2 million this decade, India’s Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth has called for expanding the infrastructure and training facilities for the cadets, as more girls were joining the largest voluteer youth force in the world.
India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed two contracts worth ₹4,106 crore cumulatively on October 15, 2026, for the acquisition of a dedicated communication satellite capability, GSAT-7C for the Indian Air Force, and Varunastra Heavy Weight Torpedoes for the Indian Navy.Â
Adani Defence & Aerospace has won the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) Champion Award 2026 for Export Performance in Defence and Aerospace at the organisation’s eighth annual session in New Delhi on Friday (October 9, 2026). The company manufactures small-calibre ammunition for defence and law enforcement customers in international markets.
EyeROV has delivered its TROUT remotely operated vehicle to the Indian Navy. TROUT was developed under the iDEX DISC 7 SPRINT Challenge for indigenous technologies for the Indian armed forces.
Indian government has announced IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit as the next Chief of Air Staff. He will take over on October 31, 2026.
Hical Technologies has launched a new 60,000-square-foot aerospace manufacturing facility in Devanahalli in Bengaluru, as the company expands its production capacity for global aerospace and defence programmes. The new facility will house partnerships and dedicated production lines for complex electromagnetics, electromechanical, hydraulic, and control systems for commercial aircraft and Rafale fighter jet programmes.
HAL-Koraput delivers 2,000th aero-engine, India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh second Shakti engine production line at an investment of ₹218 crore. AL-31FP production capacity to rise from 30 to 50 engines annually with ₹335 crore investment.
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has held the successful flight trial of an indigenously developed High-Altitude Platform (HAPS).
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden live jump of the Advanced High-Altitude Parachute (AHAP) at one of the highest-altitude drop zones, Nyoma (Mudh Drop Zone). The jump was executed at 16,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL).
India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh launched the Navy’s Fleet Support Ship ‘Surya’ at Hindustan Shipyard and inaugurated new infrastructure facilities.
India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for the procurement of BrahMos Fire Control System and Launchers for Indian Navy ships for ₹661.5 crore. The contract was signed under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) Category, the first choice of procurement under the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) in New Delhi, witnessed by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
Bharat Forge, a global leader in advanced forging and precision engineering, has secured a long-term contract with Pratt & Whitney Canada, a world-renowned aerospace engine manufacturer, for the supply of mission-critical aerospace engine components.
IAF hopeful of plugging gaps in fighter squadron strength with a healthy mix of jets with different capabilities, while inducting 40 to 45 aircraft a year through the LCA, MRFA, AMCA programmes.
