Draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) - 2026 uploaded on the Website of Ministry of Defence for Comments

Key Highlights

· Prepared by: Department of Defence, India.

· Objective: Propel Jointness, Atmanirbharta, Integration, Force Modernisation, and faster acquisition with scaled production.

· Replaces: Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 once approved.

Core Features

· Indigenous Focus: Strong preference for Buy (Indian-IDDM) category to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce imports.

· Procurement Strategy:

o Categorisation based on technology availability and manufacturing readiness.

o Faster acquisition for short technology cycles.

o Spiral design & procurement of major platforms.

o Indigenous Content (IC) and Indigenous Design (ID) evaluation.

o Use of indigenous military materials.

Reforms Proposed

· Easier financial/experience criteria for wider participation.

· Delegation of decision-making for quicker acquisition.

· Revamped trials and quality assurance processes.

· Digitisation & automation of acquisition procedures.

· Incentives for innovation and retention of IPR.

· Restriction of imports to only critical, non-available equipment.

Consultation

· Draft DAP-2026 uploaded on MoD website.

· Stakeholders invited to submit comments/suggestions by 03 March 2026 via email in prescribed format.

Context

· DAP: Governs capital procurement of defence equipment/platforms.

· DPM 2025: Governs maintenance & sustenance under revenue expenditure.

· Vision: Integrate national security with technological growth, contributing to Viksit Bharat 2047.

[ABS News Service/11.02.2026]

Department of Defence has prepared the draft ‘Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2026’ to propel Jointness, Atmanirbharta & Integration, Force Modernisation, and Speed of acquisition with scaling of production, leading to the growth and development of defence ecosystem in the country. The proposed draft aims to align India’s defence acquisition with the rapidly evolving geo-strategic landscape, growth of Indian economy, skilling of human capital, growth of private defence industry in the country and the technological imperatives of modern warfare.

Once approved, it will replace the Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020 in vogue now. DAP, the cornerstone for the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative in defence, focuses on institutionalised preference for ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category for procurement, thereby boosting domestic manufacturing and effective reduction of imports.

The proposed draft will ensure categorisation and procurement strategy based on technological availability and manufacturing readiness, exclusive procedures for faster acquisition of equipment with short technological cycle, spiral designing & procurement of major platforms, exploitation of modern technology before bulk procurement, pragmatic Indigenous Content (IC) and Indigenous Design (ID) content evaluation, and utilisation of indigenous military material, among others.

The new DAP proposes to ease financial and experience criteria for inclusive participation, delegation of decision making for quicker acquisition, revamping of trials and quality assurance processes, aggressive infusion of digitisation & automation in acquisition procedures and processes, Atmanirbharta with focus on indigenous designing & retention of IPR, along with incentives for innovations. The DAP would boost defence manufacturing and exports along with restriction on import to domestically non-available and critical equipment only.

The draft DAP-2026 document including the Handbook on Guidelines & Annexures has been uploaded on the website of MoD (https://mod.gov.in).

Ministry of Defence seeks comments / suggestions on the draft DAP-2026 from stake-holders through email at secy-dap2025[at]gov[dot]in or tmls-mod[at]nic[dot]in,  in pdf or MS Word format within a period of three weeks ie latest by 03.03.2026, as per the prescribed format hosted at the website.

While the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025 deals with maintenance & sustenance of defence equipment / platforms / systems etc. under the Revenue head of expenditure, the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) deals with the capital procurement of equipment / platforms / systems etc. under the Capital head of expenditure.

The DAP-2026 intends to weave the security of the nation and technological growth in a single thread and create the canvas for Viksit Bharat-2047.