India’s defence exports have surged to an all‑time high of ₹83,773.84 crore (about $10.2 billion) in financial year 2025–26, marking a major milestone in the country’s push for “Atmanirbhar Bharat” in the armed‑forces‑sector. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the figure as evidence of India’s transformation from a largely import‑dependent military market into a credible global defence‑export hub, with the private sector playing an increasingly central role.
Scope and scale of the growth
The FY‑25‑26 number represents a sharp jump from roughly ₹23,600–25,000 crore in 2024–25, underscoring the acceleration of defence‑exports policy and Make‑in‑India‑linked reforms. The government has already set a broader target of reaching ₹50,000 crore in annual defence exports by 2029, and the current trajectory suggests India is on track to exceed that goal earlier than initially projected. The portfolio includes a mix of platforms (drones, radars, small arms, naval and aerospace systems) and spares, supplied to over 100 friendly countries.
Drivers and structural shift
Several factors underpin the surge:
- Aggressive export‑promotion schemes, including the Defence Export Strategy, simplified licencing, and long‑term credit‑support structures.
- Rising global demand for cost‑effective Indian systems, especially from friendly‑third‑state militaries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
- Expansion of private‑sector and Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) production lines, with defence‑production pegged at over ₹1.5 lakh crore in recent years.
Rajnath Singh has repeatedly credited this growth to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for self‑reliance and the integration of Indian defence firms into global supply chains, terming India’s defence‑export leap a “proud milestone” for national security and industrial policy alike.
