Defence Ministry Opens Its Proof Ranges and Test Facilities to Industry, Waives Fees for iDEX and TDF Projects
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a revised SOP that lists DRDO, quality-assurance and Services test ranges open to industry and waives proof and testing charges for iDEX, TDF and Make projects — cutting a cost and scheduling barrier for defence start-ups and MSMEs.
For an Indian defence startup, building a prototype is often the easier half of the problem. Proving that it works — firing a new round at a proof range, flying a munition over a field firing range, or putting an electronic subsystem through environmental and electromagnetic tests — has traditionally meant queuing for government facilities, negotiating charges case by case, and navigating paperwork that was written with large public-sector producers in mind.
On Wednesday, 7 October 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that changes the terms of that access. The revised SOP governs how Indian defence companies, start-ups and MSMEs can use the proof ranges, field firing ranges and laboratory test facilities held by the Ministry of Defence, and its headline feature is a fee waiver for the government's own innovation programmes.
What the revised SOP changes
According to the ministry's announcement, as reported by multiple outlets, the revised SOP does five main things:
- It lists the facilities. The SOP sets out the proof ranges, field firing ranges and laboratory test facilities available with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Government Quality Assurance agencies and the three Services, which industry can apply to be allotted and use.
- It waives proof and testing charges for projects under iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence), the Technology Development Fund (TDF), the 'Make' category of procurement and other MoD developmental projects.
- It standardises charges where they still apply. For other users, the SOP incorporates the procedure for calculating and paying range and testing charges, which the ministry says reduces paperwork and uncertainty.
- It replaces the arbitration clause of the earlier SOP with a simpler conciliation-agreement clause, according to reports of the ministry's release.
- It reserves time for developmental work. Reports state that a three-day slot each quarter is reserved at proof ranges for proof firing of government-sponsored developmental projects and of projects that an indigenous firm takes up on its own initiative.
The SOP also includes standard formats and documentation requirements for applicants. The ministry framed the change as part of its push for Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence, describing the aim as a simpler, more transparent and industry-friendly process.
Why test access is a bottleneck
India has spent the past several years opening defence production to private companies. iDEX, run by the Defence Innovation Organisation, funds start-ups and MSMEs to solve problems posed by the armed forces. The TDF, executed by DRDO, funds industry to develop defence technologies. The 'Make' procedure in the Defence Acquisition Procedure lets the Services sponsor prototype development by Indian firms.
All of these routes end at the same gate: qualification testing. A drone maker can demonstrate a product in a field, but an anti-drone munition, an artillery fuze, a rocket motor or a new armour plate has to be tested at facilities that only the government owns. Proof ranges — where ammunition and weapons are test-fired to confirm they meet specifications — are among the scarcest of these.
For small companies, the cost of range time and testing has been a real constraint, and so has uncertainty: not knowing what a test campaign will cost, or when a slot will be available, makes it difficult to plan development schedules or raise money against them. By waiving charges for projects already funded through iDEX, TDF and Make, the ministry is removing a cost that the government was, in effect, charging back to programmes it had itself funded.
The reserved quarterly slot at proof ranges addresses the scheduling problem. Three days a quarter is not a large allocation, but it gives developmental projects a predictable window rather than leaving them to compete with production-lot proofing for the Services.
The wider reform push
The revised SOP arrived in the same week as the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers' annual conference, where Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh spoke about the opportunity for Indian industry and about DRDO reforms, including moving production of conventional missiles to private firms. DeepTech India has previously reported on the Defence Secretary's call for DRDO to trim its project portfolio and hand production to industry, and on DRDO opening strategic missile and bomb development to private companies.
Opening test infrastructure is the practical counterpart to those policy statements. If private companies are to take on more design and production work, they need access to the same proving grounds that DRDO laboratories and defence public-sector undertakings use.
What to watch
The full text of the SOP — including eligibility criteria, the specific list of ranges and the charge rates that still apply to non-exempt users — had not been widely published at the time of writing. Three questions will determine how much the change helps:
- Capacity. Waiving fees does not create more range time. If demand from iDEX and TDF projects rises sharply, the reserved quarterly slot could become a new queue.
- Coverage of lab facilities. Proof and firing ranges attract most attention, but many electronics, communications and electronic-warfare start-ups need environmental, EMI/EMC and other laboratory tests. How readily those labs can be booked will matter as much as range access.
- Turnaround. The ministry describes the process as simpler; the real measure will be how quickly an application from a small company converts into an allotted test date.
For India's defence start-up ecosystem, which has grown on the back of iDEX grants and Operation Sindoor-era demand for drones and counter-drone systems, cheaper and more predictable testing is one of the most concrete forms of support the government can offer. It shortens the path from a funded prototype to a qualified product, and from there to an order.
Sources
- Indian Masterminds — https://indianmasterminds.com/news/defence/defence-sop-industry-proof-ranges-access-sop-2026-240497/
- Deccan Chronicle — https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/defense-ministry-simplifies-access-to-proof-and-firing-ranges-1993882
- Daily Excelsior — https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/rajnath-nod-to-revised-sop-for-utilisation-of-defence-ministrys-field-firing-ranges/
- Punjab Kesari — https://english.punjabkesari.com/india/revised-sop-for-using-proof-ranges-field-firing-ranges-and-test-facilities-approved-for-indian-defence-industry
- SSBCrack — https://www.ssbcrack.com/2026/10/rajnath-singh-approves-revised-sop-for-defence-industry-access-to-mod-test-facilities.html
- Pragativadi — https://pragativadi.com/india-fortifies-local-defence-rd-as-mod-unveils-simplified-sop-for-test-and-firing-ranges
- idrw.org — https://idrw.org/india-eases-defence-industry-access-to-military-test-facilities