The Home Ministry, in a statement said, the liberalised rules are expected to encourage manufacturing activity and facilitate availability of world class weapons to meet the requirement of the Armed Forces and Police Forces in sync with the country’s defence indigenization programme.

The rules will apply to licences granted by the Home Ministry for small arms and ammunition and licences granted by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, for tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, defence aircraft, spacecraft and warships of all kinds.