'The share of the private sector is at its all-time high of around Rs 42,000 crore in FY26, reflecting its expanding role in the defence ecosystem.'
India's annual defence production has reached an all-time high of Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, marking a significant 15.6 per cent growth over the previous fiscal year. This achievement reflects a 110 per cent increase since 2020-21 and highlights the country's expanding defence industrial base, driven by policy support and increased private sector participation.
The arms trade surplus grew tenfold, reaching $691 million in FY26 from $63 million in FY18.
India's defence exports reached a record high of Rs 38,424 crore in fiscal year 2025-26, marking a significant increase of over 62 per cent compared to the previous year, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Dreamfly Innovations is setting up a 40,000-sq ft aviation battery manufacturing facility in North Bengaluru with an investment of Rs 40 crore. This plant will produce advanced batteries for various drone applications, supporting India's growing drone economy and domestic drone makers.
India's defence sector is on the cusp of a 'super cycle' of growth, driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts and a strong policy push towards indigenous manufacturing, with major players like BEL, HAL, and BDL poised for significant order inflows and technological advancements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast, highlighted India's recent achievements in self-reliance, including the maiden flight of the made-in-India C-295 aircraft and the induction of indigenous naval ships. He also lauded the global participation in International Yoga Day and India's success at the World Yoga Asana Championship, alongside Nalanda University's revival of the 'Shastrarth' tradition.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a defence manufacturing plant in Shivpuri district. The unit, comprising a missile complex, a composite propellant complex and a TNT complex, is being set up by Adani Defence and Aerospace, a subsidiary of the Adani Group, at a cost of about Rs 2,500 crore, said officials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered New Delhi Russia's fifth-generation stealth aircraft Sukhoi Su-57 and even suggested that the combat jet could even be jointly produced in India in line with the strong strategic partnership between the two countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that any attempts to undermine India's sovereignty through 'threats of sanctions' would 'boomerang immediately' under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, highlighting India's sovereign decision-making and strong national interests.
Key discussions focused on major defence procurements, including India's plan to acquire six additional P-8I aircraft for anti-submarine warfare. The deal, estimated at around Rs 30,000 crore, is under advanced negotiations.
Drone technology company ideaForge Technology has successfully raised Rs 500 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP). The funding, which saw strong interest from domestic and international institutional investors, will be used to accelerate innovation, expand its product portfolio into combat drones and autonomous systems, and strengthen its working capital to meet growing demand in defence, homeland security, and civil sectors.
Drone technology company ideaForge Technology has successfully raised Rs 500 crore through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP). The funding, which saw strong interest from domestic and international institutional investors, will be used to accelerate innovation, expand its product portfolio into combat drones and autonomous systems, and strengthen its working capital to meet growing demand in defence, homeland security, and civil sectors.
With over 75 per cent indigenous content, the frigate is among the most self-reliant frontline warships built in India.
Hyderabad-based Midwest Ltd has become the first Indian private company to secure overseas critical mineral mines, sealing a deal with Indonesia's state-run PT Perusahaan Mineral Nasional (PERMINAS) to ensure a long-term supply of rare earths.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto have significantly advanced the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, securing crucial agreements on defence, critical minerals, and maritime security, including BrahMos missile supply and Sabang port development.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow would not interfere in the "delicate" bilateral relations between India and China, expressing confidence in their ability to resolve border disputes amicably. He also discussed Russia's independent partnerships with both nations, touched upon India-Pakistan ties, and highlighted ongoing and proposed defence cooperation with India, including the BrahMos missile and a potential Su-57 fighter jet project.
Hyderabad-based Nexon Geochem has partnered with Russia's Giredmet to establish integrated rare-earth processing and downstream facilities in India. This collaboration aims to bridge critical gaps in India's rare earth value chain, focusing on producing NdFeB permanent magnets essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defence systems, reducing reliance on imports.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Safran Aircraft Engines have signed a long-term agreement for the production and supply of turbine ring forgings for the CFM LEAP engine programme. This multi-year contract, signed at the Farnborough International Airshow, will see HAL manufacture critical superalloy components at its Bengaluru facility, enhancing India's capabilities in advanced aerospace manufacturing and expanding its presence in the international civil aerospace market.
Paras Defence and Space Technologies partners with Northstar Aviation to provide air-to-air refuelling technologies and support services to the Indian armed forces, enhancing mission endurance and operational flexibility.
'ISRO is planning to build a Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2030. So, our goal is to create a vehicle that can supply modules to the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and bring the products back.'
Notwithstanding the economic complementarities and the host of agreements for deepening economic relation on a host of areas, both sides share common viewpoints on the foreign policy domain and seek common grounds to serve as a counterweight to China, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assures India's energy security amidst West Asia tensions, highlighting naval protection of tankers and readiness to counter cross-border terrorism.
When the technology gap between China and India will remain large, cost-effective hardware of the kind that proved their worth in Operation Sindoor should be our priority, points out R Jagannathan.
Precision engineering components maker Indo MIM Ltd is optimistic about the growth of the domestic aerospace industry, particularly focusing on engine applications. The company notes a significant acceleration in foreign OEM interest in India for engineering talent and manufacturing. Indo MIM recently announced its Rs 3,812 crore IPO, opening on July 23, to fund borrowings and general corporate purposes.
Precision engineering components maker Indo MIM Ltd is optimistic about the growth of the domestic aerospace industry, particularly focusing on engine applications. The company notes a significant acceleration in foreign OEM interest in India for engineering talent and manufacturing. Indo MIM recently announced its Rs 3,812 crore IPO, opening on July 23, to fund borrowings and general corporate purposes.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised India's military modernisation efforts at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting its growing industrial and logistics capacity.
Even as the benchmark and broader indices were down sharply on Monday due to escalating tensions in West Asia, the Nifty Defence index ended the session in the green.
'They talked bad about our leaders. They said India was a dead economy. They were not sensitive to the Indian psyche.'
Not a single retail outlet ran dry. Every household that wanted a cylinder got one. India faced neither a 1991 moment nor a 2013 one. Macroeconomic stability held. This was not an accident, and it was not luck alone. It was the work of a government that chose to act as it had during the pandemic -- deliberately and gradually, building one measure upon another rather than reaching for a single dramatic lever, explains V Anantha Nageswaran, chief economic advisor to the Government of India.
India's defence expenditure surged to $92.1 billion in 2025, making it the world's fifth-largest military spender, according to SIPRI data. This 8.9 per cent year-on-year rise was primarily driven by operational and procurement needs following heightened regional tensions with Pakistan in May 2025.
A lesson for India is to clearly define objectives beforehand, so that the adversary or other parties do not attempt to mitigate them midway.
Indian startup funding plummeted by 43 per cent year-on-year to $7.81 billion between March 1 and June 15, 2026, largely due to the West Asia conflict, which has amplified global risk perceptions, tightened liquidity, and led to rupee depreciation, making global investors cautious.
It is an unusual choice to depute a retired general for the funeral of a revered religious figure but a thoughtful one in an attempt to inject verve into the bilateral relationship and restore the equilibrium in India's West Asian policies, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
IT stocks had their worst first half fall in decades, with the Nifty IT index declining 31% in the January-June 2026 period, its biggest decline in the first six months of a calendar year since 2003.
'Exploration should be made easier and companies should be given operational flexibility.'
A new study reveals that despite China's significant control over global rare earth mining and processing, its dominance has a critical weakness: the US and Japan hold the majority of core patents for advanced rare earth functional material technologies. This technological gap means China lags in higher-value applications, impacting its strategic advantage in the industry.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
Vietnam is an emerging regional power and a closer relationship with Hanoi is closely aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Act East Policy, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
India and France have renewed their 10-year defence cooperation agreement and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint manufacturing of Hammer missiles in India, marking a significant step in strengthening their strategic partnership.
