India must thank Pakistan, China Turkey and US. They have helped make Indian defence systems one of the hottest thing in the global market. India used to be the world’s largest arms importer. Defence exports are up 34x in a decade, but now PM Modi’s foreign visits
Pakistan’s provocations gave India its test ground. After years of drone and terror threats from across the border, India finally showcased its Made-in-India firepower in Operation Sindoor: ✅ Akash SAM ✅ D4 anti-drone system ✅ Loitering munitions ✅ Indian command & control
The world noticed. These weren’t lab demos—these were battlefield-tested Indian weapons. That’s when credibility changed: buyers in Vietnam, Armenia, Brazil, Egypt, Philippines, Nigeria started sending inquiries.
China helped in more than one way. In Operation Sindoor, India established supremacy on Chinese systems. It started 5 years when India poured a lot of money in defence system development. China's aggression fast-tracked India's military modernisation. After Galwan (2020),
Apart from this Chinese systems are known for shorter lifetime and difficult to maintain. Indonesia and Bangladesh struggling in maintenance. While India is offering tech transfer and joint production. What about US?
Ironically, the US helped too. In two ways one: By over-arming Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, Washington created a vacuum for reliable, affordable arms. Result? Nations like Vietnam, Egypt, and African states looked toward India for: •Cheaper 155 mm shells •Drones &
Numbers don’t lie: • Defence exports in 2013–14: ₹686 crore • Defence exports in 2023–24: ₹21,083 crore • FY2024–25 (projected): ₹23,600+ crore Target by 2029: ₹50,000 crore That’s a >3,300% increase in a decade.
Operation Sindoor was the turning point. Weapons worked. Systems coordinated. India’s defence ecosystem got global validation. FM Sitharaman said: “Operation Sindoor showed the world what India can build—and how fast.” As a result PM Modi’s foreign …
… is now having defence deals in centre. Not as buyer but as seller. Where Modi goes, defence deals follow: •Vietnam: BrahMos missile deal in pipeline •Brazil: Talks on Akash missiles & naval equipment •Armenia: Already bought Indian rocket systems •Africa: EXIM-funded arms
The new model: 1Border crisis (Pakistan/China) 2India develops weapons fast 3Weapons succeed in combat 4Modi pitches them abroad 5Emerging nations line up for orders
Thanks to Pakistan's hostility, China's aggression, and the US's export gaps and lot of control on and secrecy in sharing techs, India has gone from being a defence customer to a defence competitor. And wherever PM Modi travels, Made-in-India missiles, drones & radars are now
