Indigenization of technology and developing new technology is a core policy concept aimed at substituting imported items with domestically manufactured ones, which is crucial for achieving economic sovereignty and strategic autonomy. True indigenization goes beyond mere assembly, representing the capacity to design, develop, manufacture, and maintain technological solutions using domestic resources and skills. This quest for self-reliance in India can be traced back to the post-independence era, with policies for indigenous capacities in Science and Technology introduced after 1947. The goal is to mitigate the vulnerability to foreign embargoes or conditional technology transfers, particularly in critical sectors like defence.
The concept is operationalized through national missions like Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and the Make in India initiative, launched in 2014. A key mechanism is the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which superseded the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016. DAP 2020 encourages 'forcible indigenisation' by prioritizing the Buy (Indian – Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) (IDDM) category, which mandates a minimum of 50% indigenous content. It also includes the 'Make' Procedure for indigenous design and development, such as Make-I (Government Funded). Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence issues Positive Indigenisation Lists that ban the import of specified items beyond fixed timelines. Related initiatives include the SRIJAN portal, launched in August 2020, to facilitate import substitution by connecting industry with items previously imported by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). The DAP 2020 also introduced new categories like 'Innovation' to foster R&D through schemes like Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX).