India’s defence exports have reached a record ₹38,424 crore in FY2025-26, marking a leap of more than 5,500% over the past decade and positioning the country as a rising global defence manufacturing power.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised that this surge reflects reduced dependence on imports, unprecedented momentum in indigenous production, and approvals of projects worth over ₹8.75 lakh crore to modernise the armed forces and strengthen border areas.

India has emerged as a major player in global defence manufacturing.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in his Independence Day eve message, highlighted that exports of military hardware surged to ₹38,424 crore in FY2025-26. This milestone reflects a strong push towards indigenous defence production and manufacturing.

He noted that India is no longer just a country meeting its own security needs. It has become an emerging power in global defence manufacturing and exports.

Singh said that the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has granted approval to projects worth more than ₹8.75 lakh crore in the past year. These projects are aimed at modernising the military and strengthening border areas.

He stressed that the government is determined to reduce dependence on imports and provide unprecedented momentum to indigenous manufacturing.

The Defence Minister pointed out that India’s defence exports have risen from a mere ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26. This represents a leap of more than 5,500% in about a decade.

Domestic defence production has also reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY26. This expansion reflects the success of initiatives such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.

India now exports defence products to more than 80 countries. Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) contributed 54.84% of total exports, while the private sector accounted for 45.16%. DPSU exports surged 151% year-on-year, while private sector exports grew 14%.

The Defence Minister also highlighted successful trials of advanced missile systems, including the Agni missile with MIRV technology, RudraM-II, Pinaka long-range guided rockets, and the indigenous ‘Kusha’ long-range surface-to-air missile. These developments have added unprecedented strength to India’s strike capabilities.

He emphasised that strengthening border areas remains a top priority alongside modernisation of the armed forces.

Singh credited government reforms in defence procurement and policy for accelerating the modernisation process. He said India is steadily moving from being a buyer of defence technologies to becoming a creator of them.

The Defence Minister underlined that India’s defence sector is now future-ready, self-reliant, and increasingly integrated into global supply chains.

This transformation has been supported by both public and private industry, with startups, MSMEs, and research institutions playing a larger role in capability development.

India’s defence exports have nearly tripled in the last five years, rising from just over ₹12,800 crore in FY22 to ₹38,424 crore in FY26.

The government has repeatedly stated its ambition of transforming India into a global defence manufacturing hub. Recent export growth suggests that this objective is gaining traction.

Industry leaders believe the next challenge lies beyond production volumes. The focus must now shift to building sovereign technologies that are scalable and capable of addressing real-world battlefield requirements.

The record export figures are a clear signal that India is no longer just a major buyer of military hardware. It is increasingly emerging as a manufacturer, innovator, and exporter of defence technologies to the world.

PTI