Aatmanirbhar Bharat : The country is celebrating its 80th Independence Day today, and on the eve of this year, India’s defense power and self-reliance have been achieved in a number of major ways. The Ministry of Defense signed two deals worth around Rs 1,577 crore with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Nibe Pvt Ltd to increase the firepower of the Indian Army.
These deals will procure modern loiter munition systems, ammunition and other essential equipment for the army. Significantly, these purchases are being made from Indian companies. On the occasion, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also briefed the nation about the achievements in the defense sector. He said, India’s defense output has now reached a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore, while defense exports have also grown rapidly to Rs 38,424 crore.
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A loiter munition system is a modern weapon system that can hover in the air for short periods of time, identify targets and engage them. This will significantly increase the strike capability and operational speed of the artillery units of the Indian Army. The purchase is being made under the “Purchase (India)” category under the fast-track process. Simply put, the army is buying these weapons from Indian companies. This will not only increase the strength of the army but also give a boost to the arms manufacturing companies in the country. This deal is an important step towards “Self-reliant India”.
Quadruple defense production
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in his address said that the domestic defense output, which was around Rs 46,000 crore in 2014, is projected to reach a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26. This represents a nearly four-fold increase in a decade. Defense public sector companies and other government entities account for around 76% of this output, while the private sector’s contribution has increased to 24% from 22% last year. The Defense Minister cited this as an indication of growing opportunities for private companies in the defense sector.
India has also made significant progress in defense exports. In FY 2013-14, defense exports were only Rs.686 crore, but in FY 2025-26, it will be Rs. 38,424 crores to a record high, representing an increase of over 5,500%. Today, India has 145 defense exporting companies, and Indian defense products are being exported to more than 80 countries. The Defense Minister expressed confidence that the defense export target of Rs 50,000 crore will be achieved by 2029.
Increased emphasis on budget and research
The defense budget has also seen a significant increase. It has increased from Rs.2.53 lakh crore in FY 2013-14 to Rs.7.85 lakh crore in FY 2026-27. Capital expenditure on procurement of arms and military equipment also increased from Rs 94,588 crore to ₹ 2.19 lakh crore. The research and development budget for developing new defense technologies has also increased by Rs 15,283 crore in FY 2014-15, a nearly 90% increase to Rs 29,100 crore in FY 2026-27. Additionally, last year, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) approved defense projects worth over Rs.8.75 lakh crore. This clearly shows the government’s strong emphasis on military modernization.