International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Atmanirbhar Bharat and Military Modernisation: Assessing India’s Defence Industrial Reforms

India’s defence sector has long faced structural and technological challenges. Over the years, international defence supplies have played a significant role in supporting India’s defence capabilities, addressing inefficiencies and reducing external dependency. This paper examines whether the reforms introduced under the Atmanirbhar Bharat framework have solved the problems facing the defence sector and successfully handled enduring issues with defence procurement, innovation, and production. The Atmanirbhar Bharat project is a crucial part of the defence reforms, and the Indian defence sector is still striving to increase resilience. Ensuring that the defence sector meets the nation's defence needs is a goal of the Indian government. According to official government data, policy analysis, and scholarly literature, the changes have improved defence exports, enhanced private-sector participation, and raised domestic output. Nonetheless, significant obstacles persist across crucial domains, including defence research, defence technologies, procurement, and institutional concerns. The study argues that while the Atmanirbhar Bharat project is a noteworthy step by the Indian government to establish an independent defence industry, further reforms are necessary to build a robust defence industry capable of supporting military modernisation.