India now stands as a rising force in indigenous defence manufacturing, with modern warships, fighter jets, artillery systems, and cutting-edge weaponry being built in the country.
The country has achieved the highest-ever growth in indigenous defence production in value terms during Financial Year (FY) 2023-24 at Rs 1,27,265 crore—a 174 per cent increase from Rs 46,429 crore in 2014-15.
The surge in defence was propelled by the successful implementation of the government policies and initiatives, the defence ministry said. The Make in India initiative has enabled the development of advanced military platforms including the Dhanush Artillery Gun System, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun, Light Specialist Vehicles, High Mobility Vehicles, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Akash Missile System, Weapon Locating Radar, 3D Tactical Control Radar, and Software Defined Radio (SDR).
These have also led to the development of key naval assets like destroyers, indigenous aircraft carriers, submarines, frigates, corvettes, fast patrol vessels, fast attack craft, and offshore patrol vessels.
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According to the defence ministry data, 65 per cent of defence equipment is now manufactured domestically. This is certainly a remarkable achievement for a country that relied on imports for 65 to 70 per cent of its weapons needs.
The growth has been aided by the private sector as well, contributing to 21 per cent of the total defence production.
India has set a target of Rs 3 lakh crore in defence production by 2029.
The unprecedented export growth
Besides, India is exporting defence equipment to over 100 countries with the last 10 years witnessing a 30-fold increase—from Rs 686 crore in FY 2013-14 to an all-time high of Rs 21,083 crore in FY 2023-24.
India's major exports include bulletproof jackets, Dornier (Do-228) aircraft, Chetak helicopters, fast interceptor boats, and lightweight torpedoes. The USA, France, and Armenia emerged as the top buyers of Indian equipment in 2023-24.
According to the ministry, the defence exports surged by 32.5 per cent year-on-year—from Rs 15,920 crore in FY 2022-23 to Rs 21,083 crore in FY 2023-24.
"In recent years, the Indian government has implemented a series of transformative initiatives aimed at bolstering the country's defence production capabilities and achieving self-reliance. These measures are designed to attract investment, enhance domestic manufacturing, and streamline procurement processes," the defence ministry stated in a release.
