How did India join list of top 25 arms exporters?

India is becoming ‘Aatmanirbhar’ when it comes to exporting arms.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said India had joined the list of the world’s top 25 arms exporters.

Singh, the chief guest and keynote speaker at the inaugural Firstpost Defence Summit in New Delhi, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was focusing on long-term gains.

Singh added that this administration is the first to halt the import of weapons to promote self-reliance.

“We have made sure that our army uses indigenous resources and we even took a step forward to export these arms and equipment.”

The defence minister said increasing exports of weapons required the government to step out of its comfort zone.

“Earlier, India was known to be an arms importer. But today, under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi we have come out of our comfort zone and found a place in the list of top-25 arms exporter nations,” Rajnath said.

“The aim is to manufacture high-end systems like aero-engines and gas turbines in India in the next five years,” he added.

But how did India join the list of top 25 arms exporters?

Let’s take a closer look:

First, let’s briefly examine the numbers.

According to Business Today, India’s arms exports touched Rs 16,000 crore in the 2022-23 financial year.

That’s an enormous 2,300 per cent increase from the 2013-2024 financial year when that figure was at a paltry Rs 686 crore.

Data shows India exported military equipment worth Rs 8,434 crore in 2020-21, Rs 9,115 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 10,745 crore in 2018-19

That figure was Rs 4,682 crore in 2017-18.

Over 100 companies are currently exporting defence equipment to over 85 nations.

Now, let’s look at some of the weapons India is exporting across the world.

While the names of the nations receiving the equipment cannot be divulged due to strategic reasons, the defence ministry said major systems India is exporting includes:

• Dornier-228

• 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns

• Brahmos Missiles

• Akash Missile System

• Radars

• Simulators

• Mine Protected Vehicles

• Armoured Vehicles

• PINAKA Rockets & Launchers

• Ammunition

• Thermal imagers

• Body armour

• Systems, line replaceable units

• Parts and components of avionics and small arms

“There is growing global demand of LCA-Tejas, Light Combat Helicopters, Aircraft Carrier, MRO activities etc,” the ministry said in December.

The Dornier-228, manufactured entirely by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), is a perfect example of the Made-in-India ethos.

At least six countries are in talks to buy India’s indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas, according to New Indian Express.

“Talks have picked up pace with Argentina, the Philippines and Nigeria,” HAL chief managing director CB Ananthakrishna was quoted as saying on the sidelines of the two-day Avionics Expo 2023 in Delhi.

Botswana and Egypt have also shown interest in the Tejas.

The ministry also said the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of Ministry of Defence, reached a milestone with its 300th contract.

The contract, which was inked with Agnit Semiconductors Private Limited, relates to the design and development of advanced Gallium Nitride Semiconductors which is essential for the next generation of wireless transmitters in defence applications ranging from radars to Electronics Warfare jammers.

“This would significantly enhance the indigenous design and development capability, paving way for immense potential in the defence sector including exports,” the ministry said.

 ‘Strategic shift towards self-reliance’

At the same time, India’s reliance on defence from foreign nations has reduced considerably.

The outlet quoted the defence ministry as saying that as of December 2022, expenditure on equipment from other nations was down 46 per cent compared to 2018-2019.

The ministry said the development ‘reflects a strategic shift towards self-reliance and indigenous manufacturing capabilities.

“To give a push to defence exports, the government has taken a number of policy initiatives and brought reforms over the last nine years. Export procedures have been simplified and made industry-friendly, with end-to-end online export authorisation curtailing delays and bringing ease of doing business,” the statement read.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Sweden-based think-tank reported that India’s defence imports decreased 11 per cent during the five-year period between FY 2013–17 and FY 2018–22.

Meanwhile, India is continuing to increase its production of arms and armaments.

CNBC reported that defence production in 2022-2023 crossed Rs 1 lakh crore for the first time annually.

That figure was at ₹95,000 crore in the 2021–22 financial year.

Experts say India has a bright future when it comes to defence exports.

Deccan Herald quoted a senior defence official as predicting that defence exports would likely double from the current levels to Rs 35,000 crore in the 2024-2025 financial year.

“Our target is to increase exports to Rs 35,000 crore in the next two years,” T Natarajan, Additional Secretary, Department of Defence Production was quoted as saying in June 2023.

“In the past, we have been highly dependent on imports of various defence equipment for various reasons. Maybe, our technological development was still not enough to take care of our requirements,” Natarajan added.

Natarajan said India has become a key player in arms exports.

But the defence minister said the Modi government is aiming even higher.

Singh said the Centre expects defence exports to reach Rs 50,000 crore and annual defence production to hit Rs 3 lakh crore by the 2028-2029 financial year.

“The government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focusing on long-term gains and not short-term outcomes to make India a developed nation by 2047,” Singh said.

 Tune into Firstpost Defence summit on 24 February at 3 pm today. You can register at   www.firstpostdefencesummit.com