India’s defence exports cross $4.1 billion after 62% surge

India defence exports rose sharply in the fiscal year to March, reaching 384.24 billion rupees ($4.11 billion), marking an increase of more than 62 per cent compared with the previous period, the government said in a statement on Thursday.

The statement said India exported defence equipment worth 236.22 billion rupees ($2.52 billion) from April 2024 to March 2025, adding that defence exports for the 2025–2026 fiscal year rose by 148.02 billion rupees.

The government said the increase reflects growing global acceptance of Indian-made defence products and deeper integration of the sector into international supply chains.

“India, which once upon a time used to depend on other countries for weapons or was known for imports, is moving fast in exports as well,” defence minister Rajnath Singh said in a speech on Thursday.

According to the government, India currently exports defence equipment to more than 80 countries.

In recent years, India has pushed to manufacture a wide range of defence equipment domestically, including guns, drones, fighter jets and submarines, either independently or in collaboration with foreign partners.

India is the world’s fifth-largest military spender and the second-largest arms importer after Ukraine, according to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

(With inputs from Reuters)