India's defence exports at all-time high: Which are the countries buying from New Delhi?

India has taken a step forward in becoming ‘Aatmanirbhar’ or self-reliant in defence exports. Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday (1 April) that India’s defence shipments have crossed the Rs 21,000-crore mark for the first-ever time.

According to the defence minister, the arms exports touched Rs 21,083 crore in the financial year 2023-24, a “spectacular growth” of 32.5 per cent over the previous fiscal. India’s defence exports were nearly Rs 16,000 crore in the 2022-23 financial year.

The development comes amid New Delhi’s push to boost defence exports under the Narendra Modi-led government. India has set an ambitious goal of reaching Rs 35,000 crore in annual defence exports by 2024-25.

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Let’s take a look at what India exports and to which countries.

India’s growing defence exports

India supplies arms to over 85 countries, including Italy, the Maldives, Russia, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Egypt, Israel, Spain, Chile, and others.

India’s defence shipments have seen a sharp rise in recent years, increasing from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 21,083 crore in 2023-24.

About 100 firms are exporting defence products in India. The Centre allocated Rs 6.21 lakh crore to the defence budget for 2024-25, a 4.3 per cent hike from Rs 5.94 lakh crore allocated in the previous fiscal.

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With twin threats of its neighbours Pakistan and China, New Delhi is focusing on expanding its arms and ammunition.

New Delhi has also cut back on defence imports. However, India remains the world’s largest arms importer. As per the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the South Asian country accounted for 9.8 per cent of the total defence imports globally between 2019 and 2023.

With a 42 per cent share, the United States is the top global arms exporter. France and Russia are at the second spot with an 11 per cent share each, followed by China at 5.8 per cent.

India is aiming to shift its dependence on imports by promoting the country’s defence industry. Both public and private sectors have contributed to India’s efforts to increase its arms exports.

What does India’s defence export include?

From big-ticket BrahMos cruise missiles to artillery guns, India exports a wide variety of defence equipment.

Its arms exports include Dornier-228 aircraft, radars, armoured vehicles, rockets and launchers, torpedo loading mechanism, alarm monitoring & control systems, lightweight torpedo and fire-control systems, night-vision monocular and binocular, weapons-locating radar, HF (high-frequency) radio and coastal surveillance radar, among others, as per Economic Times (ET).

Offshore patrol vessels, personal protective gear, surveillance systems and ammunition also make up India’s export portfolio.

According to the defence ministry data, India supplies bullet-proof jackets to 34 countries including Australia, Japan, Israel and Brazil. About 10 countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Indonesia and Thailand, have purchased ammunition (ranging between 5.56mm to 155mm) from India.

The US, the UK and France are buying defence electronics from India, while Mauritius, Seychelles and the Maldives have procured fast interceptor boats.

Besides the Philippines, Vietnam is reportedly seeking to buy BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, jointly developed by Russia and India. Indonesia is also a potential buyer of the missiles.

India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said in December 2023 that it was in talks with six countries to export indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas. “Talks have picked up pace with Argentina, the Philippines and Nigeria,” HAL chief managing director CB Ananthakrishna had told media on the sidelines of the Avionics Expo in Delhi, as per The New Indian Express. 

Botswana and Egypt have also shown interest in the single-engine multi-role fighter jet.

HAL aims to reach export sales of Rs 2,500 crore over the next few years, its director of operations Jayadeva EP told Reuters last February.

Under a Rs 6,000 crore defence deal, India agreed to export its anti-air system to Armenia, as per a Times of India (TOI) report last December. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will manufacture and deliver the Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) to the Asian country.

Indian defence firm Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited plans to supply artillery guns to Armenia for the 155mm weapon system by 2025.

India had signed a deal to export several weapons, including Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRL), anti-tank missiles, rockets and ammunition, to Armenia in September 2022. Last August, Armenia received its initial shipment of India’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS).

New Delhi has reportedly offered the anti-air system for export to Vietnam and the Philippines, while Egypt has also shown interest.

India’s big defence target

Defence minister Singh said in February that 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.

He made the remarks at the inaugural Firstpost Defence Summit. “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 at the time.

As per the latest data, defence production crossed already Rs one lakh crore mark in 2023-24.

With inputs from agencies