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First Post
28-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
India's new defence model: Private sector can bid to make 5th-gen stealth fighter jet
India has cleared a new plan to develop its stealth fighter jet AMCA, opening the project to private companies along with HAL. The move aims to speed up development and boost the domestic aerospace industry. read more Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given the approval for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme execution model. Image Courtesy: @DefenceMinIndia/X India has approved a new plan for building its fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), allowing private companies to join the project along with state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The model, cleared by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, aims to speed up the jet's development by involving more players from India's aerospace industry, breaking from the tradition of only HAL making fighter jets. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is part of DRDO and will design the aircraft, will lead the project through partnerships with industry. An expression of interest for the AMCA development phase will be issued soon, the defence ministry said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is a developing story.
First Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
Why India planning its own fifth-generation fighter jet is a big deal
India is accelerating its development of the fifth-generation fighter jets with Rajnath Singh approving the 'Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model'. It will boost the nation's aerial capabilities at a time when threats from Pakistan and China continue to rise read more Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given the approval for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme execution model. Image Courtesy: @DefenceMinIndia/X India's Air Force just got a huge boost. The Narendra Modi government has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme execution model to bolster the country's aerial combat capabilities. On Tuesday (May 27), the Defence Ministry said that Rajnath Singh has approved the 'Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model'. 'In a significant push towards enhancing India's indigenous defence capabilities and fostering a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme Execution Model,' it said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The decision comes amid Operation Sindoor, when India launched military strikes against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and also neutralised drones and missiles fired from across the border. It also comes at a time when the nuclear-abled Islamabad is looking to acquire at least 40 J-35A stealth fifth-generation jets from China. But what do we know of fifth-generation fighter jets? What are fifth-generation fighter jets? While fifth generation jets are quite a buzzword, what does it actually mean? Simply put, fifth generation fighter jets are stealthier than traditional fighter jets. They are designed to have superior situational awareness and get the first shot in any engagement. According to Business Insider, only aircraft with features such as stealth capabilities which can cruise at supersonic speeds without engaging its afterburners can be classified as fifth-generation fighters. As of now, only a few countries are capable of making these fighters; they are the United States, China and Russia. Two US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters fly near Andersen Air Force Base. The F-22 are among the few fifth-generation fighter jets in the world. File image/Reuters As of today, the US has the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. Meanwhile, the Russian fifth-gen jet is the Sukhoi Su-57 and it was introduced into service in 2019. A single- seater jet, it is armed with air-to-air, air-to-ground, anti-ship as well as anti-radiation missiles. China also boasts of the Chengdu J-20 , which also goes by the name of Mighty Dragon. Other countries such as South Korea and Turkey are also developing their own fifth-generation aircraft. According to reports, at least 40 of South Korea's KAI KF-X is to be delivered by 2028 and a total of 120 aircraft is to be deployed by 2032. Turkey is expected to induct its TAI TF-X planes by 2030. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What is India's fifth-gen — the AMCA? India's answer to fifth generation fighter jets is the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme (AMCA), which has been in the pipeline since 2010. According to those in the know, the AMCA is a 25-tonne twin-engine aircraft having advanced stealth features to avoid detection by enemy radar. According to Dr Krishna Rajendra Neeli, project director of AMCA at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), India's fifth-gen fighter would be on par or even superior to other aircraft in use globally. It is expected to be able to carry up to four long-range air-to-air missiles and several precision-guided munitions, with a payload of 1,500 kg, Indian Express reports. Moreover, the AMCA will also include a Divertless Supersonic Intake, which has been produced in India for the first time, as per a report by The Hindu. A full-scale model of the AMCA at Aero India 2025. PIB Last year, in March, the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the development of five prototypes of the twin-engine AMCA at an initial cost of Rs 15,000 crore. The clock is now ticking on AMCA with the ADA committed to delivering the jet's prototype by 2031, and the series production is slated to start by 2035. 'We have fixed a 10-year timeline, starting today. After the first prototype is developed, we will go in for series production, which should commence by 2035,' a source was quoted as telling The Print. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It's important to note that the development of India's fifth-gen fighter follows the same timeline as the US — that's because of the technological hurdles that are expected along the way. As the Economic Times said, 'India's fifth gen doesn't just require stealth airframe design, but also innovations in propulsion, electronic warfare, and integrated battle networks.' Now, with the Defence Ministry giving the green light for the AMCA programme execution model, the ADA will seek a partner, be it state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or private companies, like TATA, Adani, L&T. 'The Execution Model approach provides equal opportunities to both private and public sectors on a competitive basis. They can bid either independently or as joint ventures or as consortia,' read a statement released by the defence ministry. 'The entity/bidder should be an Indian company compliant with the laws and regulations of the country.' Why is it crucial for India to have a fifth-gen fighter jet? It's essential that India moves quickly on the development of the fifth-generation aircraft. This is because the Indian Air Force is currently grappling with just 30-32 fighter squadrons, against the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. Moreover, at least eight more squadrons are slated for retirement over the next 10 years. There's also the fact that India is facing a number of rising threats; there's Pakistan that is building up its arsenal with the help of China and Turkey as was evident during Operation Sindoor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Moreover, Beijing continues to be a menace — and they boast of a highly advanced air force with not only fifth-generation fighter jets but also reportedly building and carrying out trial of its sixth-generation aircraft. The AMCA project will further boost India's defence creation capability and prove to the world that it is not dependent on others for its security. The project will give a thrust to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India ' idea. Footage of China's J-36 test flight that circulated online. Image Courtesy: X What do we know of China's 6G fighters? While India is moving forward with its fifth-generation fighters, China is already surged ahead with testing their new sixth-generation fighter prototypes. According to reports, there are two being tested out — one reportedly developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation with its serial number suggesting it had been designated as the J-36, and another featuring V-shaped wings and twin engines that analysts have provisionally named the J-50. Notable features of these jets was that they had a tailless design and a rare three-engine setup. As Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told South China Morning Post, 'The three-engine configuration is interesting, considering that the J-36 is a large aircraft, almost the size of a modern bomber, which would need high-performance engines with long-range and high payload characteristics.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It's important to note that joint sixth-generation fighter projects are also underway in other countries — Britain, Japan, and Italy are collaborating on the Global Combat Air Programme, while France, Germany, and Spain are working on the Future Combat Air System. With inputs from agencies
India Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Killer weapons battle-tested, India-Pakistan mini-war will shape future wars
It was in 1979 that China fought its last major war. Two lakh PLA soldiers pushed through dense jungles of north Vietnam flanked by Chinese versions of Soviet T-55A tanks. Forty-six years later, in May 2025, although Beijing was not at war, its military arsenal was put to war test. And the battle-testing ground was Pakistan during its mini-war with India. Not just Chinese weapons, several Indian indigenous military hardware were battle-tested for the first time in Test Range Pakistan. French, Israeli, Turkish, Russian and even Pakistani war machines were battle-tested the range of weapons used, and many of them for the first time, the armed conflict between India and Pakistan must have been taken note of by arms manufacturers and defence strategists from across the world. The US and the victims of Chinese expansionist aggression would be studying the war's minutest details."Conflicts see weapons finally being used. They allow arms companies to study the efficacy of their weapons in the field, improve them and sell modifications," says Sandeep Unnithan, senior defence correspondent and expert. "Every major global arms exporter will study the air, missile and drone battles between India and Pakistan." With lessons being drawn, it is believed that the mini-war between India and Pakistan will have a bearing on any war that is fought in the future. For one, the conflict saw the full use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, and loitering takeaway from this war is that countries don't need to send bombers into enemy territory as long-range weapons from fighter jets ensure that enemy kills are made from hundreds of kilometres was displayed by India with its Sukhoi Su-30MKI and BrahMos missile combo hitting strategically significant targets deep inside Pakistan. The BrahMos-A is an air-launched, modified version of the missile with a 500 km range, capable of being fired from a Sukhoi Su-30MKI as a standoff strike weapon. (Image: X/DefenceMinIndia) MILITARY HARDWARE BATTLE-TESTED FOR THE FIRST TIMEThe Indo-Pak limited war was "definitely revealing", says Colonel John Spencer (Retired), a US Army veteran and defence analyst. He calls war "the ultimate test"."Throughout history, conflicts have been proving grounds for military technology," says for example, India's BrahMos missiles that were likely used in the India-Pakistan BrahMos programme, for which an agreement was signed between India and Russia in 1998, saw the first missile being tested in 2001. Since then, the BrahMos Aerospace programme has developed three variants of the supersonic cruise missile, but it is only 25 years later that it was was during the India-Pakistan war in 2025 that the India-made BrahMos missiles were tested in war conditions for the first time. The result was a super just BrahMos missiles, other India-made military hardware like the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet and the SkyStriker drones were also tested in war conditions for the first time."A whole range of weapon systems, both offensive and defensive, were battle-tested in this short conflict. Some were indigenous, while some were procured from our strategic partners," says Colonel Rajeev Agarwal (Retired), Senior Research Consultant, fact, France's Rafale and Hammer glide bombs were used for the first time in a country-to-country, air-to-ground mission."The 4.5 generation Rafale fighter aircraft proved their worth in the first conflict for India. When they teamed up with the deadly Scalp and Hammer missiles, they were too hot for Pakistani defences to handle," Agarwal tells India Today missiles -- HQ9, HQ16 and PL-15 -- and fighter jets -- J-10 and JF-17 -- also faced battle tests for the first time, as did the Chinese air defence (AD) system. The JF-17 Thunder was jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China. However, the single-engine fighter jet is not used by the People's Liberation Army Air Force. (Image: AFP) advertisementPAKISTAN A FIRING RANGE FOR WEAPONS FROM ACROSS THE WORLDThe use of Indian, Israeli, French, Turkish and Chinese systems marks a big shift from the Cold War-era US-Soviet hegemony of the weapons the Sukhoi Su-30MKI is of Russian origin, it is completely assembled in India with an engine from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).Pakistan reportedly used American F-16 jets, but the Chinese fighters, like the J-10 and JF-17, were PAF's its Asisguard Songar, Bayraktar TB2 and YIHA drones, Pakistan's "iron brother" Turkey actively enabled Islamabad's offensive against also used their indigenous Fatah-1 rocket and Fatah-2 tactical ballistic missiles for the first time during the war with French-made Rafale, which has a long order book, was used in a war for the first time. French Scalp missiles and Israeli Harop loitering munitions were also battle-tested yet Barak-8 surface-to-air missile, jointly produced by Israel and India, was also put to use. It is reported that it was a Barak missile that intercepted Pakistan's Fatah-2 ballistic missile over Sirsa. Pakistan used the Asisguard Songar (Top Left), Bayraktar TB2 (Top Right), and YIHA (Bottom), three UAVs of Turkish origin, against India during recent armed confrontations. Ankara reportedly also sent military personnel to Pakistan during the mini-war. (Images: Getty/Asisguard/Social Media) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BATTLE-TESTING OF WEAPONSThis unprecedented exchange between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed countries, which began on May 7 with Operation Sindoor, saw the use of a wide range of weapons from manufacturers from across the world."Two countries will study this conflict more closely than most — China and the United States. China for obvious reasons —Beijing is Pakistan's top weapons exporter. Chinese jets, long-range air-to-air missiles, radars and surface-to-air missiles were used in large numbers in the short conflict," Unnithan tells India Today Digital."The efficacy of these Chinese weapons is debatable. But what is without doubt is that this short, intense border exchange is the 21st century's largest use of advanced Chinese weaponry. From J-10 and JF-17 fighter jets to HQ-9 air defence missiles, all of them used by Pakistan," he keenly as China, it will be Donald Trump's US, which considers Beijing its biggest rival and military adversary in the rejigged bipolar world, that will closely study this conflict. The Indian armed forces showed the debris of a likely PL-15 air-to-air missile, which is of Chinese origin and was used by Pakistan during the attack on India. (Image: ANI) "These Chinese weapons will be thrown at the US Air Force, Navy and Marines in any future war with China in Asia, especially one around Taiwan," explains every battlefield will have its own dynamics, lessons and weapons from this war will have a bearing on the wars to come."The US will, for starters, want to look at the wreckage of a Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missile found in Punjab. It will want to understand the dynamics of the air battles between the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) and also the IAF's precision strikes on Pakistani airbases and radar installations," he the fog of war lifts, a clear verdict is emerging on the success and failure of these weapons from multiple countries from an actual battle. The Indian Air Force (IAF), as part of Operation Sindoor, targeted at least six military and aviation sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). These included Pakistan Air Force bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Nur Khan, Chunian, Rahim Yar Khan, and Sukkur. The dotted line in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir represents the Line of Control (LoC). The territory to its west is Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Occupied Jammu and Gilgit-Baltistan, which are integral parts of India. (Image: India Today/OSINT) RESULT OF FIRST BATTLE-TESTING: SUCCESS AND FAILURE"Indian weapons not only crossed the international border but also demonstrated accuracy against defended sites," wrote Joshua T White, foreign policy expert, for the Brookings Institute, a US think Agarwal (retd) said the Brahmos proved its worth in the short India-Pakistan conflict, and with its unique features like supersonic speeds, stealth, and accuracy, many countries are likely to line up for the Chinese PL-15, there are doubts, says the Army veteran. "Its reliability has been tested in this conflict, and it has been found wanting.""China, without fighting this war, has lost on many counts because its weapons platforms have failed more than once," says Army veteran Colonel Spencer also said that India's war machines proved their mettle."India demonstrated that its investments, mostly in indigenous products along with some others, were the right ones. Pakistan, backed mainly by Chinese and some Turkish capabilities, showed that their arsenal wasn't as effective as they believed," Spencer told India Today Unnithan said that the failure of the Chinese air defence (AD) system was one of the key revelations of this war."Chinese AD systems had one job, to protect Pakistan's air space from fighter aircraft and air-to-ground missiles - they failed miserably," he tells India Today Digital."This operation will have catastrophic consequences for Chinese AD systems -- the US Air Force and US Navy will study the IAF's air campaign precisely because this is the conflict they will face over Taiwan -- should it become a shooting war," Unnithan WAR: A BATTLE OF DRONES, LOITERING MUNITIONSIn the Brookings article, White says, the most consequential military development of the India-Pakistan armed conflict was the widespread use of drones and loitering munitions."For the first time, India and Pakistan fought what looked like a mutual drone war, with probing missions, strikes, interceptions, and spoofing attacks occurring almost continuously," he wasn't unexpected going by the Russia-Ukraine war and the Nagorno-Karabakh indigenous Nagastra-1 loitering munition and the SkyStriker kamikaze drones made their combat debut during Operation Sindoor. Nagastra-1 (L) is an indigenously developed loitering munition by Solar Industries India in collaboration with Z-Motion, designed for precision strikes with a 30-minute endurance and equipped with GPS-based navigation. SkyStriker is an Israeli-origin kamikaze drone developed in collaboration with Bengaluru-headquartered Alpha Design Technologies. It's capable of autonomous target engagement with a loitering time of up to two hours and a strike range of over 100 km. (Images: ANI/Elbit Systems) BEARING OF THE INDIA-PAKISTAN WAR ON FUTURE WARSThat UAVs, drones and loitering munitions will play a key role in future wars is a given. The potency of these drones will only increase, and counter-drone technology will evolve limited India-Pakistan war not only saw new weapons being battle-tested, but their real-life performance. How they fared will be examined not just by the US, but also the countries in South East Asia, like the Philippines and Vietnam, which have territorial disputes with an expansionist tensions in Taiwan and the South China Sea (SCS), countries threatened by China would be looking very closely into how the Indian war machines stacked up against the China-made ones."The Philippines has already bought BrahMos while Vietnam is likely to seal the deal shortly. I foresee huge demand for the Brahmos missile in the global arms market soon," said Thailand, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Argentina are among the countries that have evinced interest in the BrahMos missile platform."With the Next Generation BrahMos likely to be fielded in the next 12–18 months with many more advanced features like increased range, speed, and lethality, which could make it the most sought-after cruise missile system in the world," said Colonel Sukhoi Su30MKI and the Brahmos missile combo also show that countries don't need to cross into another's territory to land devastating blows."The Sukhoi MKI and Brahmos cruise missile combo is a unique Indian solution to offset the lack of a bomber carrying precision-guided missiles (PGMs). This deadly force-multiplier broke through Pakistan's China-supplied air defence bubbles -- devastating its airfields and allied infrastructure in punitive air strikes on May 10," explains Unnithan. The defence expert said that this lethal combo will be watched by several rivals of China around the SCS, one of the potential theatres of war."Many of these SCS littoral states, like Vietnam and the Philippines, have bought Indian military hardware, including surface-launched BrahMos, and could be potential customers of the air-launched variants," he makes this limited war interesting is the fact that Pakistan behaved like a Chinese suzerain state, fighting with China-made ammo. The results of the field study of the India-Pakistan war are out there for everyone to see and noteworthy here is that nothing reveals a changed world than the battlefield, the steel used and the smouldering has come a long way since it used the Chinese version of Soviet tanks in the Sino-Vietnam War of 1979. From being dependent on Soviet weapons, Beijing has become a military power, by investing big on defence research and production. Russia, the inheritor of the Soviet Union, is now a few notches below it. India, meanwhile, has collaborated and developed killer war machines that went unchallenged in Testing Range Pakistan. France, Turkey and Israel have emerged as notable defence exporters. The India-Pakistan mini-war provides a report card of all these weapons, and offers a glimpse into how future wars might really be WHAT IS S-400, SKYSTRIKER, BARAK, PL-15 AND HQ-9Loitering munition: A drone or missile that loiters in the air over an area and destroys itself by crashing into a target once it is identified. Because they self-kill themselves, loitering munitions are also called suicide drone: Like Japan's WW II kamikaze pilots, who would crash into their targets with the sole aim of destroying them, these drones do not return after launch. Like loitering munitions, these drones crash directly into a target and destroy These are loitering munitions developed by Israeli firm Elbit Systems and manufactured in India by Adani Defence under a joint venture. They can hover over a target area for up to 2 hours and strike with precision, suitable for for high-value target Missile: It's India's indigenously developed surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept aerial threats like fighter jets, cruise missiles, and drones. It has a range of about 25-30 km and is deployed by both the Indian Army and the Air Force. India's Akash surface-to-air missile system is an indigenous air defence platform. Armenia has procured 15 units of the Akash-1S variant to enhance its aerial defence capabilities. (Image: Ministry of Defence) Akashteer: It is a command and control system developed by the Bengaluru-based BEL to integrate various air defence components, enabling real-time monitoring and response to aerial threats. It helps automate air defence operations across Indian Army formations.S-400 Triumf: It's Russia's advanced air defence system, which was acquired by India. Nicknamed the Sudarshan Chakra, the air defence system played a key role in India's Operation Sindoor. It can destroy aircraft, drones, and missiles up to a range of 400 Missile: The Barak missile is an Israeli-developed family of surface-to-air missiles used for naval and land-based air defence, developed by IAI and Rafael. The Barak-8, jointly developed by Israel and India, can intercept multiple aerial threats including aircraft, missiles, and drones with high precision. The Barak 8 was jointly developed by India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). (Image: MyGov) J-10: It's a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft developed by China. It has been inducted into the Pakistan Air Thunder: It's a fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China. It is lightweight, cost-effective, and primarily designed for export. China, by the way, does not use Missile: A missile that travels in a high arc, exiting the Earth's atmosphere and re-entering to strike its target using gravity. Prime examples of ballistic missiles are India's Agni, and Pakistan's Missile: These missiles fly at low altitudes like a smart aircraft. They are mostly GPS-guided and highly accurate. India's BrahMos is a prime example.T-55A tanks: The Cold War-era key Soviet battle tank from the 1960s and 1970s, known for its rugged design, was used by several allies and partners of the InMust Watch
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First Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
Amid tensions with Pakistan, India's defence exports see 34-fold jump over the past decade
India's defence exports have surged from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25 — marking a remarkable 34-fold increase over the past decade read more In a big boost amid India-Pakistan conflict, India's defence exports have surged from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25 — marking a remarkable 34-fold increase over the past decade. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shared the news in a post on X, saying that India's defence sector is witnessing unprecedented growth, propelled by the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. India's defence sector is growing stronger than ever, driven by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Defence exports have jumped from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25 — a 34-fold rise. — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) May 14, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'India's defence sector is growing stronger than ever, driven by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Defence exports have jumped from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25 — a 34-fold rise,' Singh wrote on X. This significant rise reflects India's growing capabilities in indigenous defence manufacturing and its expanding footprint in the global defence market. The government's push for self-reliance through policy reforms, private sector participation, and strategic partnerships has been central to this transformation. As part of its 'Atmanirbhar' and 'Make in India' plans, the government launched various schemes, including the production-linked incentive (PLI), in various sectors to make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investments, enhance exports, integrate India into the global supply chain, and reduce dependency on imports. India's defence manufacturing sector has reached historic highs, driven by the government's sustained emphasis on the 'Make in India' initiative. This surge in domestic production has not only boosted national security but also delivered strong returns to investors in major public sector defence companies in recent years. The government continues to invest heavily in defence and aerospace, with multiple manufacturing hubs being established across the country. The latest milestone is the inauguration of a state-of-the-art BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing facility in Lucknow on Sunday, underscoring India's growing technological capabilities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a sign of increasing global collaboration, several international defence firms have shared —or expressed interest in sharing — critical defence and aerospace technologies with India. According to the Ministry of Defence data, India exported a diverse range of items, including ammunition, weapons, subsystems, and components, to nearly 80 countries in the recently concluded financial year. Looking ahead, the government has set an ambitious target of achieving annual defence exports worth Rs 50,000 crore by 2029, aiming to cement India's position as a major player in the global defence market. Indian defence sector stocks, which had recently corrected from their highs, have again been soaring over the past weeks, much of it due to the recent flare-up of tensions with Pakistan. The successful display of India's indigenously developed systems against the adversary last week also lent support to the defence stocks latest conflict with Pakistan also alluded to the fact that it is critical to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The Nifty India Defence index has climbed over 30 per cent over the past three months, reflecting investor confidence in the strategic importance and commercial growth of India's domestic defence sector. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The rise in indigenous defence manufacturing has also led to substantial returns for investors in major defence manufacturing PSUs over the past few years. With inputs from agencies
News18
14-05-2025
- Business
- News18
India's Defence Exports Saw 34-Fold Increase To Rs 23,622 Crore Since Last Decade: Rajnath Singh
Last Updated: India's defence exports have increased from Rs 686 crore in the last decade to Rs 23,622 crore now, supplying a wide range of arms to 80 countries. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said India's defence exports have increased 34-fold from Rs 686 crore in the last decade to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' for this achievement. 'India's defence sector is growing stronger than ever, driven by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Defence exports have jumped from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25 — a 34-fold rise," Singh's office said in a post on X. India's defence sector is growing stronger than ever, driven by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Defence exports have jumped from ₹686 crore in 2013-14 to ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25 — a 34-fold rise. — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) May 14, 2025 The rise in India's defence exports comes amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. As tensions soared over the Pahalgam terror attack last month, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Indian drones and missiles struck deep inside Pakistan, hitting nine terror camps and killing over a hundred terrorists. The Indian armed forces also retaliated to Pakistan's drone attacks by conducting precise strikes on 12 Pakistani air bases. India's successful military operation brought renewed attention to its indigenously developed weapons systems like Akash and BrahMos. In his address to the nation on Monday, PM Modi said Operation Sindoor proved the effectiveness of 'Made in India' defence equipment, and the world was now witnessing the arrival of Made in India arms as a formidable force in 21st-century warfare. The Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) have shown a significant increase of 42.85% in their exports in the FY 2024-25, reflecting the growing acceptability of Indian products in the global market and the ability of the Indian defence industry to be a part of the global supply chain, according to an earlier Ministry of Defence (MoD) statement. A total of 1,762 Export Authorisation were issued in FY 2024-25 compared to 1,507 in the preceding year, registering a growth of 16.92%. The total number of exporters also grew by 17.4% in the same period. The Modi government has set an ambitious target of increasing defence exports to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. The Government has brought in many policy reforms in the past few years to boost the Indian defence industry, such as simplification of industrial licensing procedure, removal of parts and components from the license regime, extending the validity period of the license, etc. First Published: May 14, 2025, 15:51 IST
