New Steps for Self-Reliance in the Indian Army

February 16, 2026

The three wings of the Indian Army—the Army, the Navy, and the Navy—are now empowered. The Indian Army is becoming self-reliant and is proud to be recognized as the fourth-largest military in the world. The government’s primary objective is to make the military self-reliant through indigenous production, but a new initiative is also underway to encourage investors to establish ordnance factories in India with Indian participation, or to acquire production knowledge from foreign countries and manufacture ordnance themselves.

Several steps have been taken towards self-reliance. We are now selling our own weapons to smaller third-world countries. French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit India. In this friendly atmosphere, defense equipment procurement deals with France have been approved. The Defense Acquisition Council has decided to purchase defense equipment worth Rs. 3.60 lakh crore from France. This includes the purchase of 114 Rafale and 6 P-8I aircraft.

These six P-8I aircraft will be purchased for the Navy, enhancing our long-range anti-submarine warfare capabilities, maritime surveillance, and maritime strike capabilities. Remember, the Navy currently has 12 P-8I aircraft; the purchase of six more will bring the total to 18. 4-megawatt marine gas turbine electric generators are also being procured for naval ships.

Now, let’s turn to the purchase of the Rafale aircraft. During Operation Sindoor, the Rafale played a vital role in teaching Pakistan a lesson. Currently, our Army has 36 Rafale aircraft, with 114 more to be added. The Ambala Air Force Station is a major training and maintenance center for the Rafale. This facility can be expanded to enhance training with the new Rafale aircraft. The Defence Acquisition Council has approved the purchase of Vibhav anti-tank mines to enhance the Army’s firepower.

Additionally, a decision has been made to overhaul our T-72 tanks, BMP 2 vehicles, and armored recovery vehicles with French assistance. These announcements, along with new information, demonstrate India’s commitment to strengthening all three branches of its armed forces. By making advance purchases of French weapons technology, India is paving the way for Fre