NEW DELHI — India’s Defence Ministry is buying two types of missile systems and multiple warships through several contracts awarded last week.
The ministry selected state-run Bharat Dynamics to supply the fully indigenous Akash system, a short-range air defense weapon, through an 81.6 billion rupee (U.S. $996.2 million) contract.
Under this deal, the Army will receive two regiments comprising six firing units each and an unknown quantity of 30-kilometer-range (19-mile-range) surface-to-air missiles. The Akash was locally designed and developed by the government’s Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The contract provide the Akash weapon system for two of the Army’s air defense regiments. The deal includes live missiles and launchers with upgrades, ground support equipment, vehicles and infrastructure.
One regiment of the Akash weapon system is made up of six launchers, which are mounted with 16 missiles and two command posts, one tracking radar system, and support vehicles.
According to DRDO, the 5.6-meter-long Akash is capable of flying at Mach 2.5 and is guided by a fire-control ground surveillance radar with a tracking range of 60 kilometers.
Separately, the Defence Ministry awarded a 17 billion rupee contract to Indo-Russian joint venture company BrahMos Aerospace for an unspecified number of BrahMos next-generation maritime mobile coastal batteries of the long-range variant, known as NGMMCB (LR), as well as BrahMos land-attack cruise and anti-ship missiles.
These NGMMCB (LR) systems will be equipped with supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles that will bolster the maritime strike capability of the Indian Navy, according to the ministry.
One NGMMCB comprises four mobile launcher systems, which have three missile-firing tubes each; one mobile command post; and one mobile tracking radar system. The mobile command post manages air defense, command and control, and communications networks for the system.
The batteries ordered by India will feature the extended-range variants — more than 400 kilometers — of the BrahMos.
The ministry said the new deal with BrahMos Aerospace will boost domestic production and provide more than 90,000 workforce days over the course of four years.
Independent defense analyst Vijainder Thakur said the Ukraine war, which began more than a year ago when Russia invaded the country, has not affected Moscow’s ability to fulfill its contractual obligations with India.
“The fact that Russia delivered the second and third S-400 regiments to India on schedule is evidence,” he told Defense News.
However, Russia invoked a force majeure clause in response to delays in supplying the remaining two S-400 regiments to India as well as spares for Su-30MKI fighter jets, Thakur said. And if the war continues for a lengthy period, he added, Russia will likely increase the transfer of technology to unprecedented levels to facilitate local production and maintain close military ties with India.
Also last week, the ministry signed a 97.8 billion rupee contract with state-run businesses Goa Shipyard as well as Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers for 11 next-generation offshore patrol vessels.
Of the 11 ships, seven will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by Goa, and four by Garden Reach. Delivery is scheduled to start in September 2026.
The ministry said these ships will enable the Navy to maintain its combat capability and meet various operational requirements such as anti-piracy, counter-infiltration, anti-poaching, anti-trafficking, noncombatant evacuation, and search and rescue operations, as well as the protection of offshore assets.
Last year, the ministry included these ships on its third arms embargo list, meaning overseas equipment manufacturers can no longer supply these specialized vessels.
The ministry said construction of these ships will generate 11 million workforce days over seven and a half years.
Additionally, state-run Cochin Shipyard won a deal worth about 98.1 billion rupees to supply six next-generation missile vessels to the Navy. Delivery is scheduled to begin in March 2027.
The stealthy vessels will include surface warfare and high-endurance capabilities. The ships will primarily provide an offensive capability at sea.
Vivek Raghuvanshi is the India correspondent for Defense News.
