Media: India to open missile production to private firms

India's Defence Ministry is preparing to open the country's strategic missile sector to private manufacturers, as growing domestic requirements and export opportunities outpace the capacity of state-owned producers, Hindustan Times reports.

The outlet said the ministry is expected to soon issue a request for proposal (RFP) inviting private companies and industrial groups to manufacture the Astra Mark 2 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.

Potential participants are expected to include major Indian firms such as ICOMM, Adani, Bharat Forge, the Tata Group and the Mahindra Group.

The move comes amid rising international interest in the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Astra missile, with Indonesia reportedly considering the acquisition of the weapon system.

Designed with a range exceeding 180 kilometres, the Astra Mark 2 is intended to counter long-range air-to-air missiles such as China's PL-15E, which Beijing supplied to Pakistan ahead of Operation Sindoor last year.

The missile is expected to be integrated into several Indian Air Force platforms, including the Tejas Mark 1-A, MiG-29, Su-30MKI and Rafale Marine fighter aircraft.

People familiar with the matter indicated that the next missile programme likely to be opened to private industry is the Pralay tactical ballistic missile.

The two-stage missile has a range of approximately 500 kilometres and travels at speeds of up to six times the speed of sound.

Pralay forms part of India's expanding integrated rocket force, which also includes the long-range land attack cruise missile (LRLACM), the next-generation BrahMos missile and the extended-range Pinaka rocket system capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometres away.

Following Operation Sindoor, which highlighted the growing role of stand-off weapons in South Asia, New Delhi is seeking to rapidly expand its missile and rocket inventory as part of broader deterrence efforts.

Indian planners are currently prioritising both offensive missile capabilities and defensive anti-ballistic systems, particularly after recent conflicts demonstrated the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to missile attacks.

In parallel, India and Israel are cooperating on the development of a long-range surface-to-air missile for naval platforms, while India is also building a layered anti-missile and anti-drone shield designed to counter low-cost drones, long-range rockets and ballistic missiles.

The effort is partly aimed at addressing threats posed by Turkish-made drones used by Pakistan as well as missile systems operated by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).

India is also due to receive its fifth S-400 air defence system from Russia in November.

The government is reportedly considering the purchase of five additional S-400 batteries to strengthen national air defence capabilities, while the systems themselves would be protected by Russia's Pantsir air defence system against drones and rocket attacks.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov