India has recorded a defence export value of ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26, marking a 62.66% increase and signalling a strategic pivot from being a major arms importer to a burgeoning defence exporter, supported by domestic production reforms and technological ambitions.
India’s defence exports have climbed to a record ₹38,424 crore in financial year 2025-26, according to a Ministry of Defence statement carried by the Press Information Bureau, marking a 62.66% increase from the previous year and underlining how quickly the country’s arms industry has expanded. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the figures show India is moving from a heavy buyer of military equipment to an emerging exporter, as the government pushes domestic manufacturing and procurement reform. (pib.gov.in)
The latest data also point to a broadening industrial base. Defence public sector undertakings accounted for 54.84% of exports, while private companies contributed 45.16%, reflecting a more balanced ecosystem than in earlier years. The ministry said DPSU exports rose sharply, while the private sector also continued to expand its overseas sales. Reuters-style reporting by Indian outlets put the previous fiscal year’s total at ₹23,622 crore, highlighting the scale of the year-on-year jump. (indianexpress.com)
The ministry has tied the export surge to wider gains in domestic production. According to PIB, annual defence manufacturing reached about ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY2025-26, helped by reforms such as online approvals, the Defence EXIM Portal, the Open General Export Licence and streamlined quality certification. Singh has also pointed to a year of large procurement clearances, with the Defence Acquisition Council approving projects worth more than ₹8.75 lakh crore to modernise the forces and improve border infrastructure. (pib.gov.in)
Officials say the ambition now is not just higher output but deeper technological capability. Singh has argued that India must build sovereign systems that can be scaled and adapted to battlefield needs, while industry leaders say the next phase will depend on whether the country can move from assembly and licensed production to original design. Even so, the export milestone suggests India’s defence sector is increasingly embedded in global supply chains and gaining credibility as a supplier to more than 80 countries. (pib.gov.in)
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