Overview

• India’s Ministry of Defence awarded 193 contracts worth Rs2.09 lakh crore in 2024–25, sending over 80% of the value to domestic manufacturers for the first time.
• Defence exports jumped more than 30-fold to Rs23,622 crore in 2024–25, and officials have set a target of Rs50,000 crore in overseas sales by 2029.
• Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said emergency procurement powers will be used over the next two years to fill military-grade equipment gaps, including in drone and stealth systems.
• Private sector firms, which now account for around 21% of defence output, are entering a 'golden era' of in-house R&D and scaling up export-ready production.
• Despite rapid gains, quality control issues, project delays and limited research funding persist as India seeks full technological self-reliance.