India opens DRDO conventional missile tech to domestic industry via Transfer of Technology framework, aiming to cut import reliance and boost private-sector defence output. Defence production rose 15.6% in FY 2024-25.
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Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the transfer of all conventional missile system technologies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to Indian industries for domestic manufacturing, the Defence Ministry said Tuesday.
The Transfer of Technology (ToT) framework lets eligible companies produce DRDO-designed missiles inside India, subject to qualifications, certifications and regulatory requirements. The Ministry said the policy is meant to deepen self-reliance in defence and broaden private-sector participation in the country's defence industrial base.
The decision covers the full conventional missile portfolio – surface-to-air, anti-tank, air-to-air and cruise systems – but does not extend to nuclear-capable platforms, two industry officials familiar with the process said. Companies seeking ToT rights must pass a security clearance and demonstrate manufacturing capacity under DRDO oversight.
The announcement follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, where he noted defence production had quadrupled in 12 years. Ministry data shows production rose 15.6% in FY 2024-25 and 110% from ₹84,643 crore in FY 2020-21. Defence exports hit a record ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26, with India now selling to more than 80 countries. The government has set an export target of ₹50,000 crore by 2029.
Private-sector firms accounted for 24% of total defence production in FY 2025-26, up from roughly 12% five years ago, according to ministry figures. Defence Public Sector Undertakings and other state-owned entities contributed the remaining 76%.
DRDO has been developing hypersonic glide and cruise missile technologies as a parallel track, though those programs remain outside the conventional-system ToT scope. The ministry did not specify a timeline for when the first technology-transfer agreements would be signed.
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