India’s defence procurement has long been weighed down by endless red tape. From Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and field trials to contract negotiations and inter-ministerial clearances, every stage drags on—often stretching timelines by years and delaying delivery of vital platforms.
Now, momentum is shifting. Sources say the government aims to slash average procurement timelines from 96 weeks to just 24 weeks by tightening procedures, adopting simulations in place of traditional trials, and enforcing stricter accountability.
Military leadership has been blunt: slow buys mean slow adoption of cutting-edge technology, leaving adversaries with the upper hand. Responding to these alarms, the Defence Ministry is moving towards parallel workflows, faster vendor engagement, and overhauling the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP).
For India, speed isn’t about simply buying faster. It’s about readiness, deterrence, and ensuring operational superiority in a fast-changing security environment. Every delay inflates costs, undermines innovation, and erodes combat effectiveness. As India pushes for self-reliance under Atma Nirbharta, streamlining defence acquisition has become a strategic necessity, one that will define the nation’s military edge in the decade ahead.
