Which are the companies that benefit from the Defence Acquisition Council Orders.
On September 7, 2026, the Defence Acquisition Council — chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh — accorded Acceptance of Necessity to capital acquisition proposals worth approximately Rs 1,10,000 crore across the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
Approximately 98% of the procurement will be sourced from Indian industry. The platforms approved span CBRN recce vehicles, high mobility vehicles, helicopters, naval radars, marine gas turbines and electronic warfare systems.
AoN is not a contract — it is the formal first step in a multi-stage process that can take two to five years from approval to first delivery — but it is the signal that procurement intent is real, funded and moving forward.
The Approvals
The Army received approvals for six platforms — CBRN recce vehicles, high mobility vehicles, self-propelled mechanical mine layers, advanced light helicopters, trawl tanks and the Sarvatra bridge system.
The Sarvatra is a 75-metre, multi-span mobile bridging system mounted on 8×8 trucks, designed to carry the weight of all vehicle classes including main battle tanks — a high-value, technically complex platform with a small number of qualified manufacturers.
The Navy received AoN for Arudhra radars — AESA S-band air surveillance systems capable of tracking fighter-sized targets at 300 kilometres — to replace ageing surveillance radars at naval air stations, and for the design, development and subsequent procurement of marine gas turbines under the Make-I category, aimed at reducing dependency on foreign vendors for naval propulsion.
The Air Force received approvals for fighter, transport and helicopter fleet enhancements — platform-specific details not disclosed by the Ministry of Defence — along with the Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammer for electronic warfare and the DEFSAC system to replace paper-based identity documentation with interoperable RFID smart cards across all three services.
BEML — Large Opportunity
BEML is the sole or primary manufacturer for three of the six Army platforms. The High Mobility Vehicle programme is the largest piece — recent contract benchmarks show individual tranches at Rs 282-294 crore for 15-30 vehicles. “A full-scale Army-wide HMV procurement covering the 8×8, 6×6, and 12×12 variants could easily run to 300-600 vehicles across configurations,” said Deven Choksey Research, putting the HMV opportunity alone at Rs 3,000-6,000 crore.
The Sarvatra Bridge System — each set costing Rs 25-40 crore — could represent Rs 2,000-4,000 crore for an Army-wide procurement. Self-Propelled Mine Layers add another Rs 1,500-3,000 crore. Combined estimate: Rs 13,000-15,000 crore with very high confidence.
HAL — Zero Competitive Risk
HAL is the only manufacturer of the Advanced Light Helicopter. The March 2024 contract for 34 ALH Mk III was signed at Rs 237 crore per unit.
“HAL is the sole OEM — there is zero competitive risk here,” notes the report. At 30-50 helicopters at Rs 237-300 crore per unit, the current AoN implies Rs 9,000-12,000 crore for HAL. Undisclosed IAF fighter and helicopter enhancement programmes could add further upside that the report has not sized.
BEL — Multiple Programmes
BEL is the sole production agency for Arudhra radars. Naval procurement to replace surveillance radars at 8-12 air stations could be Rs 3,000-5,000 crore. The GBMPJ electronic warfare programme is estimated at Rs 1,000-2,000 crore based on comparable EW system orders.
DEFSAC adds Rs 500-1,500 crore. CBRN vehicle electronics and ALH avionics subsystems contribute the remainder. Total estimated opportunity: Rs 6,000-10,000 crore.
Bharat Forge and BHEL — Longer Dated
The Marine Gas Turbine programme is under Make-I — design and development must happen before production begins. “The development cycle alone could be 3-5 years before production orders flow,” notes the report.
Bharat Forge has signed an MoU for an MGT facility at Visakhapatnam; BHEL is the other potential manufacturer. Combined estimated opportunity: Rs 5,000-8,000 crore, with a longer realisation timeline.
The Full Picture
| Company | Estimated Opportunity (Rs Cr) | Confidence | Key Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEML | 13,000 – 15,000 | Very High | HMV, Sarvatra Bridge, Self-Propelled MML |
| HAL | 9,000 – 12,000 | Very High | ALH Dhruv, IAF upgrades |
| BEL | 6,000 – 10,000 | High | Arudhra Radar, GBMPJ, DEFSAC, ALH avionics |
| Bharat Forge / BHEL | 5,000 – 8,000 | High (longer-term) | Marine Gas Turbines |
| Tata Advanced Systems | 4,000 – 7,000 | Medium-High | ALH components, HMV, EW subsystems |
| L&T | 2,000 – 4,000 | Medium | Sarvatra Bridge, MML hydraulics, MGT role |
| Astra Microwave | 1,000 – 2,500 | Medium-Low | Arudhra RF modules, GBMPJ components |
| Data Patterns | 500 – 1,500 | Medium-Low | Radar and EW subsystems |
| Other private / MSME | 15,000 – 25,000 | — | Broad-based component supply |
| IAF programmes (undisclosed) | 25,000 – 35,000 | — | Fighter/transport/helicopter enhancements |
Source: Deven Choksey Research