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India’s military modernisation has entered a decisive phase as the pace of defence procurement has clearly shifted gears. Over the past year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has driven through an unprecedented volume of acquisitions, approvals and contract signings, closing its ‘Year of Reforms 2025’ with capital procurement clearances worth over Rs 3.84 lakh crore and contracts already signed totalling Rs 1.82 lakh crore in FY 2025–26. It is not simply routine modernisation. It reflects urgency. There are clear reasons why the MoD is in a hurry.
India is currently dealing with an urgent strategic timeline. China is strengthening its military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control and enhancing military cooperation with Pakistan. The overt China-Pakistan tango during Operation Sindoor was the redline. This development has turned the previously theoretical “two-front threat” into an immediate concern for New Delhi. In simple terms, any delays now pose significant operational risks.
The focus of recent approvals, air defence, ISR, long-range fires, maritime strike capability and infrastructure shows that India is prioritising deterrence, survivability and response speed. The message is unmistakable: capability gaps must close, fast.
Recently, the government approved three major defence packages in the second half of last year after Operation Sindoor. Among the weapon systems to be procured in the packages are advanced airborne early warning and control systems, the Pinaka multiple launch rocket system, the integrated drone detection and interdiction system Mark-2, and medium-altitude long-endurance drones for the air force, navy, and army. The packages also cover the maintenance of India’s C-17 Globemaster III and C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft and S-400 long-range air defence missile system.
The objective is straightforward: to address operational gaps with proven technologies rather than pursuing experimental solutions.
The pattern is visible across the services.
The Air Force has begun receiving the upgraded LCA Tejas Mk-1A, essential to phasing out legacy MiG-21 squadrons. The Navy has moved decisively on Rafale-M fighters, stealth frigates, submarines and torpedoes. The Indian army conducted successful tests of the Pralay, Agni-5, Agni-I, and Prithvi-II ballistic missiles. It has also received the final three AH-64E Apache helicopters. Taken together, these developments reflect steady progress toward a more networked, survivable and lethal force.
Infrastructure build-up has kept pace. Ministry of Defence has recently inaugurated 125 projects worth over Rs 5000 crore, including roads and bridges across Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, marking their largest single-day launch. At the same time, a renewed export push, including potential BrahMos missile deals with Indonesia and Vietnam, underscores confidence in the maturing domestic defence ecosystem.
The reforms and evolution of the domestic defence industry last year showed that the military’s modernisation was on a fast-moving track. The scale of approvals and inductions suggests that defence modernisation is becoming a continuous process at a breathtaking pace.
Also Read: Record Defence Buys Mark’ Year of Reforms 2025,’ MoD Signals Strong Push on War Preparedness
However, the long lag between approval and operationalisation of weapons has been a constraint. Reducing this is a massive challenge as urgent acquisitions of weapons to plug long-standing deficiencies are critical to boost the military’s capabilities to counter threats at the Western and Northern borders and in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The shortage of combat squadrons and advanced submarines needs to be addressed in next month’s budget. While delivery timelines remain a major bottleneck, prompt integration of weapon systems is the need of the hour.
Self-reliance in defence involves more than just assembling products locally; it also requires consistent investment in design capabilities, dependable supply chains, and effective program management. Although 75 per cent of the modernisation budget is allocated to domestic procurement, the real challenge lies in whether the Indian industry can rapidly scale up to meet operational demands.
Also Read: DRDO Registers Record Rs 1.3 Lakh Crore Inductions, 11 Major Contracts Signed in 2025
Whether 2025 is remembered as a landmark year of accelerated transformation or merely as a period of ambitious approvals will ultimately hinge on the speed with which today’s decisions convert into operationally ready assets for the military.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
