The Unprecedented Growth of Defence Sector

10 years back, had anyone said India can become an exporter in Defence manufacturing, people would have laughed. In 2014, when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister one of the key sector he wanted immediate transformation was defence. When we had severe threats from China, Pakistan we were no longer in a position to stay completely dependent on other countries for weapons. Mush emphasis was given on Atma Nirbhar Bharat where India started to manufacture its own weapons. "Defence Production Policy of 2018" (DPrP-2018) has a goal of becoming among the top 5 global producers of the aerospace and defence manufacturing with annual export target of US$5 billion by 2025. 12% of worldwide arms exports reach India. India domestically produces only 45% to 50% of defence products it uses, and the rest are imported. But due to huge policy change and push of make in India, the exports which was only 5 Million in 2010, grew upto 115 Million by 2019. The export authorisation went up from $213 million in FY 2016–17 to $1.5 billion in FY 2018-19 (April to March period). The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has noted that three Indian companies that rank among the top-100 defence companies. March 2017, India finalised a deal with Myanmar for sale of indigenously developed lightweight torpedoes worth US$37.9 million. The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stated in 2021 that India was ready to export different types of missile systems, Light Combat Aircraft, helicopters, multi-purpose light transport aircraft, warships and patrol vessels, artillery gun systems, tanks, radars, military vehicles, electronic warfare systems and other weapons systems to Indian Ocean region nations. Now, to add to the glory, the DRDO has successfully tested New Generation Ballistic Missile ‘Agni Prime’ was successfully flight-tested by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on June 07, 2023.  This was the first pre-induction night launch conducted by the users after three successful developmental trials of the missile, validating the accuracy and reliability of the system.  Agni-P is a two-stage, surface to surface, road mobile and solid-fueled MRBM which is transported by a truck and launched via a canister.It is a ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system. It is the sixth missile in the Agni (missile) series of ballistic missile. Indian defence experts view it as part of work in progress towards an advance anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) development for enhancing future sea denial capability against Chinese carrier battle groups in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It is a matter of pride to Nation that our defence sector has been greatly successful in producing indigenous equipment which has the potential to protect our nation in every way.