Industry Odisha Bureau, Aug 28: India is moving closer to self reliance in defence manufacturing, with domestic defence production rising nearly four-fold over the past decade, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.
He spoke at the foundation stone ceremony for the T-Series Tanks overhaul project at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Therein, he said that defence production reached around Rs 1.80 lakh crore in 2026, compared with about Rs 46,000 crore in 2014.
India’s defence exports have also grown sharply. According to Singh, exports reached an all-time high of around Rs 39,000 crore, compared with less than Rs 1,000 crore earlier.
Singh also said that the growth reflects India’s emergence as a global manufacturing hub and a potential technology and defence partner. He further added that the government’s push for an Atmanirbhar Bharat is changing the country’s defence manufacturing landscape.
Rajnath Singh also highlighted the changing nature of modern warfare. He said countries with advanced technology, strong supply chains, industrial capacity and innovation capabilities would be better prepared for prolonged conflicts.
He stressed that India must reduce dependence on foreign supply chains for critical defence requirements. The government’s focus, he said, is to manufacture defence equipment within the country, carry out repairs and upgrade existing systems with modern technology.
The government also aims to develop next generation defence capabilities within India.
