India’s Defence Exports Hit Record ₹23,500 Crore
India’s defence exports have reached a record-high of ₹23,500 crore, stated Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, indicating a monumental achievement in India’s defence sector. The Minister attributed this success to the increasing participation and innovation from the domestic private sector.
Speaking at the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) Annual Conference in New Delhi, Minister Singh highlighted that India’s total domestic defence production over the last decade has soared to over ₹1.5 lakh crore, with the private sector’s contribution exceeding ₹33,000 crore of that total.
Success of Operation Sindoor
The Minister lauded the domestic industry, whom he called “industry warriors,” for their contributions to the recent Operation Sindoor. He specifically cited the successful deployment of indigenous systems like the Akash missile system, BrahMos, and the AkashTeer Air Defence Control System, noting that the prowess demonstrated by these platforms has significantly enhanced India’s reputation both regionally and globally.
Driving Indigenisation and Policy Reforms
To further bolster this remarkable growth, the Ministry of Defence has actively streamlined procedures, notably by publishing the Positive Indigenisation List for import substitution and simplifying the export clearance process. This strategic push is aimed at creating a level playing field for domestic manufacturers, allowing them to compete globally. For more information on these initiatives, you can visit the official Ministry of Defence website.
Asserting the government’s commitment to self-reliance, the Defence Minister stated that continuous efforts are being made to promote domestic vendors and ensure that platforms, systems, and sub-systems are progressively indigenised. He reaffirmed the provision requiring a minimum of 50 per cent indigenous content for components that cannot be entirely manufactured within the country, ensuring genuine self-reliance rather than mere assembly.
The international confidence in Indian manufacturing is demonstrated by growing interest from Southeast Asian, African, and Middle Eastern nations in sourcing platforms, ranging from naval vessels to surveillance systems. This global footprint confirms India’s emergence as a reliable and high-quality defence producer.
Finally, the Raksha Mantri praised the SIDM for establishing critical collaboration through strategic MoUs with the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He underlined SIDM’s pivotal role in shaping crucial policy reforms, including the development of the upcoming Defence Procurement Manual 2025 and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy.
Vishal Duggal possesses over two decades of journalistic experience across print and web domains. He headed the editorial team of “Sahara Time” a 48-page general interest English weekly newspaper. He was also a senior editor with Exchange4media group’s real estate magazine “Realty Plus” and prior to that Consulting Editor with “Geopolitics” a magazine on defence and strategic affairs, and Executive Editor with Pravasi Indians, a magazine on the global Indian diaspora. Currently, he lends his professional expertise to several publications and websites.
