For almost three years now, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been promoting aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in acquiring military equipment by placing incremental curbs on importing specified weapons and defence kits. In December 2020, the MoD first instituted curbs on importing line replacement units (LRUs), sub-systems, assemblies, and spares and components of specified defence systems. From the end of that year, 69 types of equipment could no longer be imported. In March 2022, additional equipment types came under the import ban, and the curbs on import were further expanded in August 2022. These lists were given a gloss of positivity by terming them “positive indigenisation lists”, or PILs. With a fourth PIL of 928 “strategically important” items promulgated on Sunday, these lists now contain 2,500 items that have already been indigenised and another 1,238 that will be indigenised within stipulated time lines. According to the data submitted