Guide 04 Procurement and tendering
Where Indian defence tenders are published, and how to bid
Most Ministry of Defence tenders appear on the Defence e-Procurement portal, defproc.gov.in, on the Central Public Procurement Portal, eprocure.gov.in, and on GeM for goods and services listed there. Defence PSUs and shipyards also run their own portals. Bidding on any of the government-run ones needs a Class III digital signature certificate registered in advance.
- Topic
- Procurement and tendering
- Checked
- 23 September 2026
- Sources
- 4
- Questions
- 6
01
The three portals to watch
Defence PSUs and shipyards run their own e-procurement systems on top of these three: HAL through its own e-procurement portal, Bharat Electronics through its SRM portal. A supplier chasing a specific buyer's work needs to watch that buyer's own portal as well as the general ones, since not every tender is mirrored everywhere.
- Defence e-Procurement portal, defproc.gov.in, run on NIC's government e-procurement system for Ministry of Defence tenders
- Central Public Procurement Portal, eprocure.gov.in, where central ministries, departments and CPSUs publish tenders under the General Financial Rules
- GeM, mandatory for goods and services available there under GFR Rule 149
02
Registering to bid: the Class III digital signature certificate
A Class III digital signature certificate, with both signing and encryption components, is required to bid on NIC's e-procurement portals, including CPPP and the Defence e-Procurement portal. HAL's own e-procurement FAQ separately makes a Class 3 DSC compulsory for its online tenders and for e-registration through empanelment on limited tenders. Buy the certificate from a licensed certifying authority in the name of the person authorised to sign bids, and register it against a bidder profile before, not after, a tender opens.
Enrolment on defproc.gov.in happens through an online bidder enrolment process; complete it well ahead of a first bid deadline rather than in the final days, since certificate registration and profile verification both take time.
03
Global tenders are restricted below Rs 200 crore
Since a Department of Expenditure order of 15 May 2020, Rule 161(iv) of the General Financial Rules bars Global Tender Enquiries for procurements up to Rs 200 crore, unless the competent authority approves a relaxation with recorded reasons. Below that value, expect a domestic tender open to Indian bidders rather than a global one, which matters when deciding whether an imported item can even compete on a given contract.
04
Integrity Pacts and bidder-specific requirements
Some defence PSUs attach an Integrity Pact to their tenders above a certain value: a signed commitment from both buyer and bidders to avoid bribery and unfair practice during the tender and contract, overseen by Independent External Monitors. Bharat Electronics and Garden Reach Shipbuilders both publish their Integrity Pact and monitor arrangements on their supplier pages; the specific tender states whether a pact is required and above what value.
Read the RFP itself for any bidder-specific declaration it asks for, since requirements like these are set tender by tender rather than as one fixed rule across every defence buyer.
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Questions people also ask
Where Indian defence tenders are published, and how to bid
Where are Indian defence tenders published?
Most Ministry of Defence tenders appear on the Defence e-Procurement portal (defproc.gov.in), on GeM for goods and services listed there, and on the Central Public Procurement Portal (eprocure.gov.in). Defence PSUs and shipyards also run their own e-procurement portals, such as HAL's and Bharat Electronics' SRM portal. Watch all the portals a target buyer actually uses.
How do I register on the Defence e-Procurement portal (defproc.gov.in)?
defproc.gov.in runs on NIC's government e-procurement system. Bidders enrol online through the portal's bidder enrolment process and must hold a Class III digital signature certificate, with signing and encryption, to bid. Register the certificate against a bidder profile well before a first bid deadline, and check the portal's help desk page for any current enrolment steps.
What is the Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP)?
The Central Public Procurement Portal, eprocure.gov.in, run by NIC, is where central ministries, departments and CPSUs publish tenders, and its e-procurement module lets them run tenders online. Bidders enrol on it with a valid digital signature certificate. The General Financial Rules also require tenders to be advertised on CPPP and on GeM.
Which digital signature certificate do I need for defence tenders?
A Class III digital signature certificate is required for NIC e-procurement portals, including CPPP and the Defence e-Procurement portal, usually with both a signing and an encryption certificate. HAL's own e-procurement system also makes a Class 3 DSC compulsory. Buy it from a licensed certifying authority in the authorised signatory's name.
Can a defence buyer issue a global tender for small purchases?
Generally no. Since the Department of Expenditure's order of 15 May 2020, Rule 161(iv) of the General Financial Rules bars Global Tender Enquiries for tenders up to Rs 200 crore unless the competent authority approves a relaxation with recorded reasons. This keeps smaller procurements open to domestic suppliers by default.
What is an Integrity Pact in defence tenders?
An Integrity Pact is an agreement signed by the buyer and bidders committing both to avoid bribery and unfair practices during the tender and contract, overseen by Independent External Monitors. Defence PSUs such as Bharat Electronics and Garden Reach Shipbuilders publish their Integrity Pact arrangements; the tender states whether a pact is required and above what value.
Checked against
Sources
- 01CPPP guidelines for bidders, National Informatics Centre, eprocure.gov.in
- 02Defence e-Procurement portal, National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Defence
- 03Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
- 04Global Tender Enquiry restriction order, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
This guide explains how the system works in general, as the documents above describe it, and was last checked on 23 September 2026. Rules and thresholds change: the governing document is the authority, not this page.
On this site
Where this meets the work
- Vendor registration information for new suppliers
- Defence contract works
- The maintenance contract record
More in Procurement and tendering
- DAP 2020 procurement categories explained, and the DAP 2026 draft
- What changed in the Defence Procurement Manual 2025 (DPM 2025)
- How GeM works for defence suppliers
- EMD and performance bank guarantee rules in defence tenders
- MSME benefits in Indian public procurement, and what is excluded
- How L1 evaluation and reverse auctions work in government tenders
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