Draft DAP-2026 Released for Stakeholder Consultation.
Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister, India.
India’s Defence Acquisition Procedure 2026: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has uploaded the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2026 on its official website and invited comments and suggestions from stakeholders. The announcement was made by the the Defence Ministry on February 10, 2026.
Prepared by the Department of Defence, the draft DAP-2026 seeks to propel jointness among the armed forces, promote Atmanirbharta (self-reliance), strengthen integration and force modernisation, and accelerate acquisition processes while scaling up domestic production. Once approved, it will replace the existing Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020.
Aligning Acquisition with Emerging Strategic Realities
The proposed DAP-2026 aims to align India’s defence acquisition framework with the evolving geo-strategic landscape, the growth trajectory of the Indian economy, the expansion of the private defence industry, and the technological imperatives of modern warfare.
The policy continues to position defence procurement as a cornerstone of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, retaining an institutionalised preference for the ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ category — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured — to reduce imports and boost domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Focus on Speed, Technology and Indigenous Capability
The draft outlines several key reforms to modernise and streamline procurement. These include categorisation and procurement strategies based on technological availability and manufacturing readiness, exclusive procedures for equipment with short technological cycles, and spiral design and phased procurement of major platforms.
It also proposes early exploitation of modern technologies before bulk procurement, pragmatic evaluation of Indigenous Content (IC) and Indigenous Design (ID), and increased utilisation of indigenous military materials.
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Easing Norms and Digitising Processes
To encourage broader industry participation, the draft proposes easing financial and experience criteria, particularly to enable inclusive participation by private players and emerging firms. It also calls for delegation of decision-making authority to expedite acquisition timelines.
The DAP-2026 envisions revamping trials and quality assurance processes and aggressively integrating digitisation and automation into acquisition procedures. A strong emphasis has been placed on indigenous design, retention of intellectual property rights (IPR), and incentivising innovation.
The revised framework is also expected to promote defence manufacturing and exports, while restricting imports to equipment that is either critical or not available domestically.
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Public Feedback Invited Until March 3
The draft DAP-2026, along with the Handbook on Guidelines and Annexures, is available on the Ministry of Defence website. The Ministry has invited comments and suggestions in PDF or MS Word format via email within three weeks, with the deadline set for March 3, 2026.
Officials clarified that while the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM)-2025 governs maintenance and sustenance of equipment under the Revenue head, the DAP deals with capital procurement of platforms, systems, and equipment under the Capital head of expenditure.
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Towards Viksit Bharat-2047
The proposed DAP-2026 aims to integrate national security priorities with technological advancement, contributing to the broader vision of Viksit Bharat-2047 (a developed India by 2047). By strengthening indigenous capabilities and streamlining procurement, the policy seeks to create a robust and self-reliant defence ecosystem for the decades ahead.
