Former DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V. Kamat has confirmed that India has exported its indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile systems to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, marking an expansion of India’s defence export presence into Central Asia.
The disclosure places the Akash weapon system among India’s indigenous defence platforms gaining traction beyond the country’s traditional export markets. Details such as the number of systems supplied, the specific variant and the financial value of the reported deals have not been publicly disclosed. The specific exports have been reported based on Kamat’s statement, while official Indian government sources confirm the broader export status of the Akash system.
The development is significant for India’s defence industry as Central Asian countries have historically operated large inventories of Soviet- or Russian-origin military equipment. The reported Akash exports could therefore represent an additional avenue for India to establish itself as a supplier of indigenous air-defence technology in a region where countries are seeking to maintain and modernise their defence capabilities.
The Akash is an indigenous surface-to-air missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It is designed to protect vulnerable areas and points against aerial threats and can engage multiple targets in group or autonomous modes. The system incorporates electronic counter-countermeasure features and is configured on mobile platforms.
According to the Department of Defence Production, the Akash system has an operational range of 4.5 km to 25 km and can engage targets including helicopters, fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. It uses command guidance and is designed for rapid mobilisation and deployment.
The Indian Armed Forces have operated the Akash for several years. The system was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2014 and the Indian Army in 2015. The Government of India formally approved the export of the Akash missile system in December 2020, noting that the export configuration would be different from the system then deployed by India’s armed forces.
The Cabinet approval in 2020 was intended to accelerate exports of major indigenous defence platforms and enable Indian manufacturers to participate more effectively in international procurement processes. The government identified Akash as an important indigenous missile system, with more than 96 per cent indigenisation cited at the time.
Since then, the Akash family has increasingly featured in India’s defence export efforts. DRDO states that Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited have supported training for personnel from friendly foreign countries and that the first battery or firing unit has been flagged off for export to friendly foreign customers.
The reported exports to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan would extend this international footprint into Central Asia. Both countries are geographically positioned in a region where air-defence requirements remain closely linked to legacy military infrastructure and evolving security concerns.
The development also follows growing international interest in upgraded versions of the Akash system. The Akash family has undergone successive improvements, while the Akash Prime variant has been developed to address high-altitude operational requirements. In July 2025, the Ministry of Defence announced that Akash Prime successfully destroyed two high-speed unmanned aerial targets at high altitude in Ladakh.
The Akash system has also benefited from a wider domestic industrial ecosystem. DRDO identifies Bharat Dynamics Limited as a production partner, while Bharat Electronics Limited and several other public- and private-sector companies contribute to the system and its components.
The reported Central Asian exports therefore have significance beyond individual contracts. They demonstrate how an indigenous weapon system originally developed for India’s own air-defence requirements is increasingly being positioned as an exportable defence product.
For India, defence exports are also becoming an important component of the broader effort to build a domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem. Export orders can support production capacity, supply chains and industrial expertise while providing Indian defence companies with exposure to international requirements.
For potential customers, the Akash offers a mobile air-defence architecture developed and produced within India, with the system designed to counter a range of aerial threats. Its export configuration can be tailored in accordance with the requirements and approvals governing individual customers.
The reported Tajikistan and Turkmenistan deliveries thus mark another development in the internationalisation of India’s indigenous missile systems. While specific contractual details remain undisclosed, the reported exports indicate that Akash is moving beyond its established role within the Indian Armed Forces and becoming part of India’s wider defence-export portfolio.
The development also reinforces the strategic importance of indigenous air-defence technology as countries assess options for modernising or diversifying their military inventories. For India, the Akash’s reported entry into Central Asia represents another step in expanding the global reach of domestically developed defence capabilities.
