Twelve years after the launch of the 'Make In India' initiative, India's defence industrial base has undergone a dramatic transformation, evolving from a largely import-dependent sector into a significantly larger domestic manufacturing ecosystem, Business Today reported.

Indigenous defence production has increased from ₹43,746 crore in 2013-14 to a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, representing almost a fourfold expansion. The growth reflects sustained efforts to strengthen self-reliance, expand domestic manufacturing capacity and increase private-sector participation in defence production.

The rise in production has been accompanied by a remarkable surge in exports. Indian defence exports climbed from just ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26, transforming the country from a predominantly import-oriented market into an increasingly important supplier of military equipment to overseas customers.

Today, Indian-made defence systems are being exported to more than 80 countries, highlighting the growing international acceptance of indigenous platforms and military technologies.

The expansion has been visible across multiple sectors of the armed forces. India now produces a broad range of advanced military equipment, including combat aircraft, warships, missiles, artillery systems, helicopters and armoured vehicles.

Among the most prominent indigenous platforms are the Tejas light combat aircraft, the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, the Akash surface-to-air missile system, the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, the Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), the Arjun main battle tank and the Prachand light combat helicopter.

The broader defence ecosystem has also matured considerably. Policy reforms, indigenisation drives, procurement changes and greater involvement of private industry have expanded the number of companies participating in defence manufacturing, while encouraging domestic development of critical military technologies.

Private-sector participation has become increasingly significant, accounting for roughly 24% of total defence production in 2025-26, with output valued at around ₹42,000 crore. This marks the highest private-sector contribution recorded so far.

Despite the progress, important challenges remain. India continues to rely on foreign suppliers for several high-end technologies that are crucial to modern weapon systems.

These include certain aircraft and naval propulsion technologies, advanced engines, specialised sensors, electronic components and other critical subsystems that remain difficult to develop domestically at scale.

As a result, although India's indigenous manufacturing capabilities have expanded substantially, the country continues to rank among the world's major arms importers, particularly for some of the most technologically sophisticated military platforms and equipment.

The past 12 years have therefore delivered a substantial increase in production capacity, exports and indigenous capability. However, achieving full strategic self-reliance will depend on India's ability to master critical technologies that still lie beyond its domestic industrial base.

Agencies