The defence ministry on Friday said it has initiated reforms to streamline procedures and ease access for Indian industry to foreign markets as it steps up efforts to boost the country’s defence exports.
The defence ministry explained how the defence export SOP has been simplified. Also, OGEL validity has been increased from two to three years, reducing the frequency of renewals and associated compliance requirements. India has set a target of achieving ₹ 50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029-30. Its coverage has been expanded from 41 to all countries, except negative or sensitive nations and those facing UN Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes.
The department of defence production has undertaken a comprehensive set of reforms to simplify the defence export standard operating procedure and the Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework, it said. “These reforms seek to reduce procedural requirements, facilitate faster access to international markets and enable Indian defence companies to respond more effectively to global business opportunities, while ensuring that national security considerations remain fully safeguarded,” defence minister Rajnath Singh said. Three existing OGEL SOPs—covering major platforms and equipment, parts and components, and intra-company transfer of technology—have been consolidated into one unified framework, providing exporters with a common and simpler structure, the ministry said.
“The reforms move India’s defence export regime towards a more comprehensive and facilitation-based system, reducing routine procedural requirements while retaining appropriate safeguards for sensitive items, technologies and destinations.
The measures are expected to particularly benefit Indian defence manufacturers, including MSMEs, by enabling them to respond more quickly to international tenders and exhibitions, access wider global markets and reduce repetitive authorisation requirements,” the ministry said.
