Operation Sindoor reveals India’s new defence playbook: Build what you can, buy what you must

Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2025, was more than a tactical military response to a terrorist attack in Kashmir—it was a live demonstration of India’s evolving defence acquisition strategy. The operation showcased a hybrid arsenal: domestically developed Akash missiles and Akashteer command systems operated alongside the Russian S-400 air defence system, Israeli Harop loitering munitions. This blend of indigenous and imported systems reflects a deliberate and increasingly sophisticated procurement philosophy.

India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) is navigating a complex landscape—balancing the imperatives of strategic autonomy with the operational urgency that often necessitates foreign acquisitions. For industry stakeholders, Operation Sindoor offers a case study in how India is leveraging both indigenous innovation and strategic partnerships to modernize its air defence architecture.

Indigenous Systems: Strategic Autonomy in Action

The Akash missile system, developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), represents a long-term investment in sovereign capability. It was developed to eliminate India's dependence on outdated foreign surface-to-air missile systems and to establish a modern, mobile air defence capability for safeguarding critical assets. Its procurement (likely) under the “Buy Indian-IDDM” category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) ensured full domestic control over design, production, and lifecycle support. The system’s evolution, from DRDO labs to operational deployment,—illustrates the benefits of sustained R&D funding and inter-agency collaboration. 

Akashteer, a more recent inclusion, exemplifies the agility of India’s maturing defence industrial establishment. Developed by Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), this command-and-control system was contracted in 2023 and fielded within a year, which for people familiar with procurement lifecycles is—an unusually rapid timeline for a major defence project . Its success and unprecedented speed underscores the value of pre-existing technological building blocks and close coordination between BEL and the Army’s Corps of Air Defence. 

Both systems were procured without foreign content, offsets, or licensing constraints. This not only maximized domestic value addition but also ensured operational sovereignty, which is critical in scenarios where geopolitical tensions could disrupt foreign supply chains.

Foreign Systems: Strategic Partnerships and Capability Gaps

Despite the push for self-reliance, India continues to rely on foreign systems to address capability gaps, particularly in high-end or time-sensitive domains. The S-400 Triumf, acquired from Russia under an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) , provides long-range air and missile defence coverage that no indigenous system currently matches. The deal, said to be valued at around $5 billion, bypassed competitive tendering in favor of diplomatic negotiation, reflecting the strategic nature of the acquisition. 

Similarly, the Harop loitering munition from Israel Aerospace Industries was procured under emergency financial powers. These acquisitions, executed outside the standard DAP framework, prioritized speed and operational readiness over industrial participation or technology transfer. The Harop deal, in particular, highlights the utility of direct commercial sales in urgent scenarios where field commanders’ needs override procedural orthodoxy. 

In strategic terms, the procurement mechanism for Harops exemplifies pragmatism. When an indigenous solution was lacking, India opted for a quick import of a proven system to gain an edge. This contrasts with big-ticket G2G deals like S-400 where strategic and diplomatic considerations dominate. The Harop deals were comparatively low-profile, secretive, and driven by field commanders’ immediate needs.

Procurement Mechanisms: Divergent Paths, Common Goals

Indigenous systems like Akash and Akashteer follow a structured path: government-funded R&D, user trials, and procurement under categories accorded top priority like the Buy Indian-IDDM. These projects involve extensive oversight from the MoD, DRDO, and DPSUs, and often engage MSMEs in the supply chain. While it may involve a lot of red tape, this route builds long-term capability and economic resilience. 

In contrast, foreign acquisitions(especially G2G deals like the S-400) are negotiated at the highest political levels. These contracts often bypass standard technical evaluations and offset requirements.  The trade-off in such situation is prioritising transparency for speed and strategic alignment. Emergency procurements like Harop are even more streamlined, with minimal bureaucratic layers and rapid delivery timelines.

Strategic Implications for Industry and Policy

For India’s defence industry, the indigenous route offers the greatest opportunity for growth, innovation, and export potential. Systems like Akash and Akashteer not only reduce import dependency but also create a foundation for future upgrades and integration with other domestic platforms.

In such indigenous systems, critical technology is controlled by India. This means easier upgrades, no risk of foreign sanctions or spare parts denial, and an ability to export if desired. In contrast, the imported S-400 and Harop are black-box systems. India will likely not be able to modify or upgrade their software or produce its missiles, nor can it fully understand/ replicate their AI guidance due to the absence of transfer of technology (ToT) in such deals. Thus, technological sovereignty is a clear advantage of indigenous routes.

A key difference however lies in procurement speed. While indigenous development like Akash demands long-term foresight, taking nearly 30 years from inception to deployment, foreign acquisitions can rapidly fill urgent capability gaps, as seen with systems like Harop.

However, the continued reliance on foreign nice and advanced capability systems signals the need for targeted investment in emerging technologies. Areas like AI-enabled munitions, long-range sensors, and integrated air defence networks remain ripe for indigenous development.

From a policy standpoint, the challenge lies in optimizing procurement frameworks to support both tracks. The MoD must streamline indigenous development timelines without compromising oversight, while also ensuring that foreign acquisitions are strategically justified and not merely expedient.

Towards a Hybrid Defence Ecosystem

India’s defence modernization is no longer a binary choice between building and buying. It is a calibrated strategy that blends sovereign capability with strategic partnerships. Operation Sindoor demonstrated that this hybrid model can deliver results, if managed with foresight and flexibility.

India’s procurement ecosystem is evolving. Success, across both indigenous and foreign acquisitions, will depend on the ability to innovate domestically, negotiate strategically, and execute decisively.

The writer is Partner, JSA Advocates and Solicitors. Views expressed are personal