India is preparing for a massive missile production cycle, with parallel orders for around 1,000 QRSAM and 1,000 Akash-NG missiles. Together, these procurements could push domestic manufacturing into a new phase, strengthening layered air defence while boosting the defence industrial base.

Around 1,000 Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles are expected to be ordered under a Bharat Dynamics Limited contract worth an estimated ₹11,000–12,000 crore. This forms part of a wider QRSAM program valued at nearly ₹30,000 crore.

Bharat Electronics Limited has already completed its QRSAM-related activities, with only Cabinet Committee on Security clearance awaited. The Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity in July 2025, and BEL expects a final decision by September 2026.

The QRSAM system has a reported range of 25–30 kilometres and altitude coverage of 6–10 kilometres. It is designed for mobile air defence, mounted on high-mobility 8x8 platforms with its own surveillance and fire-control radars.

Deliveries are expected over seven to eight years, with subsequent orders potentially accelerated to three to four years once production stabilises. BEL is also preparing a 75-hectare production complex at Chitrakoot in the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor to support large-scale manufacturing.

The Ministry of Defence is simultaneously considering an order for around 1,000 Akash-NG missiles. This next-generation system completed final user evaluation trials in December 2025. It features a dual-pulse motor, active radar seeker, canisterised launch system and a smaller ground footprint.

Its demonstrated range is around 30 kilometres, with extended envelopes reported toward 50–70/80 kilometres depending on configuration. A major order could still be at least three years away, but the scale of procurement under consideration signals strong intent.

The Akash-NG represents a significant leap over the Akash-1S variant already inducted by Armenia and evaluated by Brazil and the Philippines.

It incorporates advanced radar technology and improved reaction times, making it effective against low-RCS drones and precision-guided munitions.

Bharat Dynamics Limited has already completed the First-Off Production Model of the Advanced Akash system, confirming readiness for serial production.

The industrial ecosystem supporting these missile programs is expanding rapidly. Larsen & Toubro has developed mobile launcher vehicles, while Apollo Micro Systems supplies subsystems.

Apollo Micro Systems is also diversifying into complete defence-system development, acquiring a controlling stake in Premier Explosives for about ₹1,550 crore and subscribing to a 34% stake in ShauryAstra Defence Systems.

The latter will focus on indigenous weapon systems, long-range strike platforms, unmanned systems, guidance and control, seekers, sensors, datalinks and mission software under the guidance of Dr VK Saraswat.

These developments could expand India’s domestic air-defence manufacturing capacity significantly. Export orders are expected to sustain production lines after domestic requirements are met, with countries in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa already showing interest.

The combined QRSAM and Akash-NG procurements would mark one of the largest indigenous missile production cycles in India’s history, reinforcing both strategic deterrence and industrial self-reliance.

Agencies