India’s decision to open the conventional missile sector to private industry marks an important inflection point in the evolution of the country’s defence-industrial strategy. Defence minister Rajnath Singh recently approved the transfer of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-developed technologies covering conventional missile systems to eligible Indian defence companies, both public and private, for domestic production.India wants to build a missile industrial base rather than merely produce missiles. The immediate rationale is familiar. But the strategic logic is deeper.The significance of the decision extends well beyond technology transfer. It represents an attempt to move India’s missile ecosystem from a predominantly…