India’s Defence Exports Hit Record ₹38,424 Crore in FY26, Driven by Missiles, Artillery and Global Demand
Summary
India’s defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in FY2025–26, up 62.66% from ₹23,622 crore the previous year. The surge reflects expanding global demand and growing trust in Indian-made defence equipment.
Public sector Defence PSUs led the jump, contributing ₹21,071 crore (a 151% year-on-year rise), while private firms exported ₹17,353 crore — about 45% of the total, a steadier 14% increase. The product mix is increasingly high-value and complex, including missile systems, artillery, radars, naval and aviation platforms, munitions, UAVs and personal protection gear.
Key Points
- Record defence exports of ₹38,424 crore in FY26 — a 62.66% increase year-on-year.
- DPSUs accounted for ₹21,071 crore (151% YoY growth); private sector contributed ₹17,353 crore (45% share, 14% growth).
- Major exported systems: BrahMos and Akash missiles, Pinaka rockets, ATAGS howitzer, Swathi weapon-locating radar and various electronic warfare systems.
- Exports also covered Dornier 228 aircraft, specialised vessels, lightweight torpedoes, munitions, small arms, UAVs and protective equipment.
- Indian defence goods reached 80+ countries; registered defence exporters rose 13.3% to 145.
- Key buyers include the United States (for sub-systems), France and Armenia, plus markets across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
Context and Relevance
This milestone matters for anyone tracking defence manufacturing, exports or geopolitical supply chains. The leap in exports shows India moving from low-value items to sophisticated platforms — signalling deeper integration into global defence supply chains and increasing competitiveness of domestic industry under Make in India policies.
Geopolitical re‑alignments and rising demand for alternatives to traditional suppliers have opened markets for Indian systems. The split between DPSU and private-sector strengths (ammunition and naval subsystems vs armoured vehicles, UAVs and personal protection gear) highlights where capability and industrial depth are growing.
Author’s take (Punchy)
Big headline: India just sold a lot more kit overseas. If you care about defence industry growth, export markets or supply‑chain shifts — this is a clear signal that Indian manufacturers are now playing in the big leagues. Read the detail if you want to know who’s selling what and where.
Why should I read this?
Short version — because it’s a wake-up call. India’s defence industry isn’t just tinkering at the edges anymore: missiles, radars, artillery and whole platforms are being bought globally. If you work in defence, logistics, trade policy or regional security, this saves you the time of digging through dry reports — the trend is clear and it affects markets, partnerships and procurement choices everywhere.