India has achieved its highest-ever defence production, touching an unprecedented ₹1.54 lakh crore during the financial year 2024-25. This marks a major milestone in the country’s ongoing effort to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.
According to official data, the surge was driven by wide-ranging policy reforms, streamlined procurement processes, and continuous support for domestic manufacturers under the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Over the past few years, India has focused on developing a stronger domestic defence ecosystem by boosting innovation, promoting private-sector participation, and expanding export opportunities.
The defence industry also recorded significant growth in exports, with outbound shipments rising sharply due to greater global interest in Indian platforms, equipment, and systems. A large number of export authorisations were issued during the year, signalling confidence among international partners in India’s manufacturing standards and technological advancements.
Public sector undertakings continued to play a dominant role in overall production, but the private sector’s contribution has grown steadily thanks to major contracts, improved ease of doing business, and increased involvement in high-value defence programs. The Ministry of Defence signed a record number of contracts in FY 2024-25, with a significant majority awarded to domestic companies.
Officials highlighted that India is now moving closer to its long-term targets of achieving defence production worth ₹3 lakh crore and defence exports of ₹50,000 crore by 2029. The sharp upward trajectory in production over the past decade indicates strong progress toward transforming India into a major global defence manufacturing hub.
-
-
-
-
