India's Defence Industrial Strategy: Addressing China's Military Challenge Through Multi-Domain Deterrence

The Hindu - Opinion · 27 Mar 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Defence and security Mains · GS3 Security High relevance

India must urgently reconceptualize its defence-industrial strategy to counter China's military advantage by focusing on multi-domain operations (MDO), industrial reforms, and procurement efficiency to enhance deterrence capabilities.

Key points

China's military challenge poses a serious threat to India, necessitating a robust industrial strategy to prevent widening capability gaps and maintain deterrence.

Three strategic approaches are proposed: bold technological bets, conservative integration of emerging tech, or a middle path combining legacy platforms with enabling layers like C2 and ISR.

Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) are critical but challenging to operationalize due to India's industrial limitations and doctrinal evolution lagging behind technological advancements.

Industrial base constraints hinder India's ability to produce missiles, munitions, drones, ISR, and C2 networks at required speed and scale, necessitating private sector collaboration.

Procurement system reforms are needed to align defence spending with evolving force requirements, prioritizing key deterrent capabilities through informed debate and consensus.

[GS3-Economy] Defence industrial expansion must address budgetary stability, long-term contracts, and red tape reduction to enhance private sector participation in military production.

[GS2-Governance] Effective deterrence requires institutional coordination between military, political leadership, and industry to develop a unified vision of national security objectives.

Enabling layers like C4ISR dominance are crucial to alter China's military confidence and prevent single-capability advantages in potential conflicts.

Way Forward: India should prioritize expanding its defence-industrial base through public-private partnerships, streamline procurement processes for emerging technologies, and institutionalize a national security framework for coordinated multi-domain deterrence strategy development.

Key terms

Multi-Domain Operations (MDO)

Military strategy integrating capabilities across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace domains to achieve operational superiority. For UPSC, this represents India's modernization challenge against China's integrated theatre commands and has implications for GS3 Security and defence policy.

C4ISR

Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance systems that form the nervous system of modern warfare. Relevant for GS3 Security as India's gaps in this area create strategic vulnerabilities against China.

Defence-Industrial Base

The ecosystem of public and private entities involved in defence production. For UPSC, this connects to GS3 Economy's 'Make in India' in defence and the need for self-reliance amid geopolitical tensions.

Deterrence Theory

Strategic concept where military capabilities prevent adversary aggression through credible threat of retaliation. Crucial for GS2 International Relations in analyzing India-China power dynamics and nuclear doctrine.