US, France, Armenia emerge as India’s top three defense export customers

“Indian firms produced machinery worth R46,429 crores in 2014-15; reached R1.27,265 crores in the final amount,” sources said. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Amid the growing drive to increase exports of traditional defense equipment, the US, France and Armenia have emerged as the top three customers for India’s military exports.

“India is currently sending troops to more than 100 countries around the world. The top three countries in the last fiscal year included the US, France and Armenia,” official sources said on Sunday (October 28, 2024).

The Ministry of Defense has been pushing for export of defense equipment and manufacturing in the country to boost domestic production of these weapons to meet domestic and international needs.

Sources said exports to the US include a large portion of aircraft and helicopter parts produced by top Indian defense firms such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The shipment to France includes a lot of software and electronic equipment, while the shipment to Armenia includes ATAGS rifles, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher systems, Swathi radar detection weapons and other important systems.

Official sources said that the Defense Industrial Zone has been growing with the presence of 16 defense industry units, 430 licensed firms and 16000 medium and small enterprises. Sources said the amount of defense production in the country has increased significantly since 2014-15.

“There has been a three-fold increase in the value of production since 2014-15. While Indian firms produced machinery worth Rs46,429 crores in 2014-15, it has reached Rs1.27,265 crores in the last quarter,” they said.

The private sector’s contribution to this production figure is 21%. Major defense platforms manufactured in this country include LCA Tejas fighter jets, aircraft carriers, warships, submarines, Dhanush gun system, MBT Arjun, advanced towed gun system, armored vehicles, armored vehicles, radar of weapons, 3D intelligent control radar, software defined radios, and Akash missile system.