Indias defense export story is becoming harder to ignore

India’s defense exports are accelerating, turning “Make in India” into a more visible export strategy as production hits record levels. The country reported around $18.6 billion in defense production in fiscal year 2025-26, with exports up 63% to $4.6 billion. Growth is driven by a broader range of products, from protective gear and ammunition to advanced systems such as BrahMos and Akash missiles, aero-structures, radars, and platforms. Agile private firms and start-ups contributed close to half the export value via components, sub-systems, and drones. Export interest spans dozens of countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The report also notes India is marketing a Russian-origin T-90 Bhishma upgrade package internationally.