India’s defence exports jumped from Rs 686 crore in FY14 to Rs 38,424 crore in FY26, and the government now targets Rs 50,000 crore by 2030.

That works out to more than a 50 fold increase over roughly a decade, and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has said the 2030 goal is well within reach given how fast orders have been coming in.

A big part of this growth is coming from platforms India has spent years developing at home. BrahMos missiles, Akash air defence systems, Pinaka rocket launchers and Dornier aircraft are now finding buyers well beyond India’s borders.

The Philippines has already signed on for BrahMos, and deals with Indonesia and Vietnam are reportedly close to being finalised. Armenia has also placed orders for Akash systems and artillery equipment.

Price is a big part of the appeal. Indian missile systems are typically priced 20 to 50% below their western equivalents, which matters a lot in cost sensitive markets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Singh noted that around 145 Indian companies are now exporting defence products, ranging from bulletproof jackets to advanced missile systems, and that India issued nearly 1,800 export authorisations covering more than 100 countries during FY26 alone.

There’s a manufacturing story behind these numbers too. About 65% of India’s defence equipment is now built domestically, a sharp shift from the 65 to 70% import dependence the country had in earlier years.

Government officials credit the Make in India push and steady policy reforms, including simpler export licensing and eased rules for repeat orders, for helping local manufacturers move from occasional shipments to a more consistent export pipeline.

Analysts caution that India still isn’t among the world’s top 25 arms exporters, and the global market remains dominated by the US and Western Europe.

Even so, with domestic production scaling up and more countries showing interest, officials seem confident the momentum can carry exports toward that Rs 50,000 crore mark.

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