NEW DELHI : The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, has announced a comprehensive set of procedural reforms to simplify India’s Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework. Guided by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the measures aim to position India as a competitive and trusted global defence manufacturing hub while preserving national security safeguards.
The revised Defence Export SOP streamlines procedural hurdles by eliminating mandatory stakeholder consultations for exports of non-lethal defence items to most international destinations. Additionally, consultation requirements have been removed for all defence items intended for international tenders and exhibitions, allowing Indian defense firms to capture global market opportunities with greater speed and agility.
To further facilitate ease of doing business, key structural enhancements have been introduced under the OGEL framework. The Ministry has merged three separate OGEL SOPs—covering major platforms, components, and intra-company technology transfers—into a single, unified procedure. Additionally, OGEL authorization validity has been extended from two years to three years, significantly cutting down on routine compliance and renewal efforts. The destination coverage under OGEL has also been expanded from 41 countries to all non-sanctioned and non-sensitive nations globally.
Further supporting long-term industry partnerships, new provisions allow Indian companies holding contracts with Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (FOEMs) to receive OGEL grants aligned with their underlying contract durations. The overall scope of eligible items under OGEL has been widened to include civil end-use provisions for specified small-arms parts and protective gear. Building on record figures in FY 2025-26—where domestic defence production reached ₹1.78 lakh crore and exports hit ₹38,424 crore—these facilitation-based reforms will particularly support MSMEs in scaling up international trade.
