Defence Acquisition Council

The council's 26 October 2026 meeting, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the chair, cleared roughly Rs 2.12 lakh crore (around $22bn) of proposals spread across the Army, navy and air force. Army items included platform-based counter-drone systems, long-range kamikaze drones, surveillance drones and integrated surveillance-strike systems; navy items included Active Offboard Decoy Systems. About 82% of the value is earmarked for Indian industry, the defence ministry says.

Set up in 2001 on the recommendation of the post-Kargil Group of Ministers review of national security, the council is the Defence Ministry's highest body for capital acquisitions for the three services and the Coast Guard. Its members include the Chief of Defence Staff and the three service chiefs.

Its Acceptance of Necessity is an in-principle approval that starts procurement; it places no contract. Each item still needs bids, trials and price talks. October's list followed earlier 2026 approvals of about Rs 2.38 lakh crore in March and about Rs 1.10 lakh crore in September.