India’s defence exports have achieved a record high of ₹23,622 crore (approximately USD 2.76 billion) in the Financial Year 2024-25, reflecting a significant 12.04% increase over the previous year’s figure of ₹21,083 crore. The growth of ₹2,539 crore underlines the rising global demand for Indian-made defence systems and components, reinforcing India’s emergence as a major contributor to the international defence supply chain.
DPSUs Lead the Surge in Exports
A notable aspect of this growth has been the remarkable performance of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), which recorded a 42.85% increase in exports this year. The DPSUs contributed ₹8,389 crore to the total export value in FY 2024-25, up from ₹5,874 crore in FY 2023-24. The private sector remained a strong contributor, accounting for ₹15,233 crore of the total exports, maintaining its steady performance from the previous fiscal’s ₹15,209 crore.
The combined efforts of both sectors have helped Indian defence products find acceptance across the globe, with exports now reaching around 80 countries. Items exported include ammunition, arms, sub-systems/systems, and various parts and components, highlighting India’s expanding capabilities across the defence manufacturing spectrum.
Government’s Push for Export Reforms
The surge in exports comes on the back of continued policy reforms and structural enhancements undertaken by the Government to encourage defence production and exports. These include:
- Simplification of the industrial licensing procedure
- Removal of parts and components from the licensing regime
- Extension of validity periods for licenses
- Further simplification of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for granting export authorisations
In FY 2024-25, a total of 1,762 export authorisations were issued through the Department of Defence Production’s dedicated portal, marking a 16.92% increase from 1,507 in the previous year. The number of registered defence exporters also rose by 17.4%, signifying growing participation of Indian industry in the global defence market.
Raksha Mantri Lauds Achievement
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, in a post on social media platform X, congratulated all stakeholders, including industry, government departments, and the armed forces, for their role in achieving this milestone. He reiterated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is steadily moving towards its target of achieving ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029.
Self-Reliance and Global Presence
India’s transformation from being a primarily import-dependent nation to a self-reliant defence manufacturing power has been one of the defining developments in recent years. The government’s focus on ‘Aatmanirbharta in Defence’ has been instrumental in fostering innovation, expanding production capabilities, and ensuring that Indian defence products meet global quality and operational standards.
The record-breaking export figures for FY 2024-25 reaffirm India’s growing stature as a trusted defence exporter and reflect the success of the Government’s proactive policies to make India a key player in the global defence manufacturing ecosystem.
