Military procurement deserves a special treatment, because procurement is where strategy, economics, technology, diplomacy, industry, corruption, bureaucracy, and war preparedness intersect.
Without procurement history, the story of India’s military civilization after 1947 remains incomplete.
A simple question illustrates the point:
Why did India fight the 1962 war largely with Second World War-era equipment, yet emerge by the 2020s as one of the world’s largest importers and increasingly a producer of advanced military systems?
That question alone can fill an entire volume.
Volume 48
Military Procurement, Defence Acquisition and Strategic Technology in India (1947–2026)
Synopsis
This volume examines the evolution of India’s defence procurement system from Independence in 1947 to the emergence of a technologically sophisticated military-industrial ecosystem in the twenty-first century. It studies how political leadership, strategic threats, wars, industrial capacity, foreign relations, scientific institutions, and bureaucratic structures shaped the acquisition of weapons, platforms, and military technologies.
Rather than treating procurement as an administrative activity, the volume analyzes it as a critical instrument of national power that influenced battlefield outcomes, strategic autonomy, industrial development, diplomatic alignment, and military modernization.
Part I – Inheriting an Empire (1947–1962)
Chapters
Legacy of the British Indian Arsenal
Inherited:
- Lee–Enfield rifles
- Sherman tanks
- Spitfires
- Dakotas
Defence Production at Independence
Major facilities:
- Ishapore
- Jabalpur
- Avadi
Early Procurement Policy
Challenges:
- Foreign exchange shortages
- Partition losses
- Industrial limitations
The Krishna Menon Period
Strategic debates over:
- Indigenous production
- Foreign purchases
- Soviet relations
Part II – Shock and Expansion (1962–1971)
After the Sino-Indian War
The 1962 defeat triggered the largest military expansion since Independence.
Major acquisitions:
Soviet Union
- MiG-21
- An-12
- IL-14
Britain
- Gnat fighters
- Hunter aircraft
France
- Alizé aircraft
United States
- Emergency military assistance
Part III – Soviet Era Procurement (1971–1991)
This would be one of the largest sections.
Strategic Partnership with Moscow
Major acquisitions:
Air Force
- MiG-23
- MiG-27
- MiG-29
Army
- T-72
- BMP-2
Navy
- Kashin-class destroyers
- Kilo-class submarines
Missiles
- Early strategic programmes
Part IV – Nuclear and Missile Procurement
Indigenous Strategic Systems
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
Key figures:
- Abdul Kalam
Systems:
- Prithvi
- Agni
- Akash
- Nag
Nuclear Command Systems
Development of:
- Delivery systems
- Command structures
- Strategic infrastructure
Part V – Procurement after Liberalization (1991–2014)
Diversification Era
India reduced dependence on a single supplier.
Major acquisitions:
Russia
- Su-30MKI
- T-90
- Aircraft carrier
Israel
- UAVs
- Radars
- Precision systems
France
- Scorpène submarines
United States
- C-17
- P-8I
- C-130J
Part VI – The Rafale Era and Strategic Procurement (2014–2026)
Major Programmes
Rafale
S-400
Apache
Chinook
M777
MQ-9
Indigenous Drones
Tejas Expansion
Future Fighter Programmes
Part VII – Procurement Institutions
- Ministry of Defence
- Defence Acquisition Council
- Acquisition Wing
- Services Headquarters
- Defence Finance
- Audit Systems
Part VIII – Defence Industry and Procurement
Public Sector
- HAL
- BEL
- BDL
- Mazagon Dock
Private Sector
- Tata
- L&T
- Mahindra
- Adani Defence
Strategic Partnership Model
Make in India
Atmanirbhar Bharat
Part IX – Scandals, Controversies and Reform
No serious encyclopedia can avoid this.
Cases
Jeep Scandal
Bofors
HDW
AgustaWestland
Tatra
Procurement Delays
Blacklisting Policies
The purpose is analytical, not sensational.
Part X – India’s Foreign Suppliers
Soviet Union / Russia
France
United Kingdom
Israel
United States
Germany
Sweden
South Korea
Comparative analysis of:
- Reliability
- Technology transfer
- Strategic impact
Part XI – Procurement and War
- 1947–48
- 1962
- 1965
- 1971
- Kargil
- Galwan Era
How acquisition decisions affected battlefield performance.
Part XII- Future Acquisition Systems
Topics:
AI-enabled procurement
Autonomous weapons
Cyber systems
Space systems
Directed-energy weapons
Domestic manufacturing ecosystems
Why This Volume Is Essential
Most military histories tell us:
- Who fought.
- Where they fought.
- Why they fought.
But procurement history explains:
- What they fought with.
- Why they had those weapons.
- Why some weapons arrived too late.
- Why others transformed warfare.
- How diplomacy and industry shaped military capability.
In many cases, a procurement decision made in New Delhi has had more long-term strategic consequences than a battlefield decision made at the front.
