India’s defence exports have reached an all-time high of ₹25,000 crore (3 billion USD), marking a dramatic rise from less than ₹1,000 crore just a few years ago, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Friday. The government has now set an ambitious goal of achieving ₹3 lakh crore in domestic defence manufacturing and ₹50,000 crore (6 billion USD) in exports by 2029.
Sharing the milestone on X (formerly Twitter), the Ministry of Defence stated:
“Our defence export, which used to be less than ₹1,000 crore, has now reached a record ₹25,000 crore. We have now set a target to achieve ₹3 lakh crore in domestic defence manufacturing and ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029,” quoted Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh.The Defence Minister made the announcement during his visit to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Nashik, where he attended the maiden flight of the Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft and inaugurated new production lines.
“Today marks the inauguration of HAL’s third production line for the Tejas Mk1A and the second production line for the HTT-40 aircraft. Congratulations to everyone on this occasion,” Singh said, praising HAL’s growing contribution to India’s defence self-reliance.
He further added, “The land of Nashik is historic — Lord Shiva resides here in the form of Trimbakeshwar. This land is not only one of faith and devotion but has now become a symbol of self-reliance. HAL here stands as a symbol of the nation’s defence strength.”
The milestone reflects India’s expanding footprint in global defence manufacturing and export markets, aligning with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative. (Source: Economic Times)