Defence Ministry simplifies Defence Export SOP and Open General Export Licence framework
On 28 August 2026, the Department of Defence Production simplified the Defence Export SOP and the Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework, raising OGEL validity from two to three years.
Summary
The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, announced reforms on 28 August 2026 to simplify the Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the Open General Export Licence (OGEL) framework. Stakeholder consultation has been dropped for exports of non-lethal items to most destinations and for all items meant for international tenders and exhibitions, with safeguards kept for sensitive countries. The OGEL, a standing one-time authorisation that lets eligible exporters self-generate authorisations for multiple consignments, now has validity of three years instead of two. The reforms follow record defence production of ₹1.78 lakh crore and exports of ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26.
Key facts
- Department
- Department of Defence Production, MoD
- SOP change
- No stakeholder consultation for non-lethal items (most destinations) and tenders/exhibitions
- OGEL
- Standing one-time export authorisation for multiple consignments
- OGEL validity
- Raised from 2 to 3 years
- FY 2025-26 production
- ₹1.78 lakh crore (record)
- FY 2025-26 exports
- ₹38,424 crore (record)
Practice MCQs 3 questions
Under the August 2026 reforms, the validity of the defence Open General Export Licence (OGEL) was changed to:
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Correct answer: B — Three years
OGEL validity was increased from two to three years.
What was India's record defence export figure for FY 2025-26, cited by the Ministry of Defence in August 2026?
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Correct answer: C — ₹38,424 crore
Defence exports touched a record ₹38,424 crore in FY 2025-26; ₹1.78 lakh crore was defence production.
Consider the following statements about the defence export reforms of August 2026: 1. The OGEL requires exporters to seek a separate authorisation for each consignment. 2. Stakeholder consultation has been dispensed with for exports of all items meant for international tenders and exhibitions. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Statement 1 is wrong: OGEL lets eligible exporters self-generate authorisations for multiple consignments without a separate authorisation for each. Statement 2 is correct.