India’s defence exports for the fiscal year to March reached 384.24 billion rupees ($4.11 billion), a jump of more than 62% from the previous period, the government said in a statement on Thursday.
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India exported 236.22 billion rupees ($2.52 billion) worth of defence exports from April 2024 to March 2025, the statement said, adding that defence exports for the 2025-2026 fiscal year rose by 148.02 billion rupees.
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The sharp rise signals increasing global acceptance of Indian-made defence products and the sector’s growing integration into international supply chains, the statement said.
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“India, which once upon a time used to depend on other countries for weapons or was known for imports, is moving fast in exports as well,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a speech on Thursday.
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India currently exports defence equipment to more than 80 countries, the government said.
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In recent years, India has pushed to manufacture everything from guns and drones to fighter jets and submarines at home, either on its own or in collaboration with foreign partners.
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India is the world’s fifth-largest military spender and the second-largest arms importer after Ukraine, according to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
($1 = 93.5940 Indian rupees) (Reuters)