India Achieves Highest Ever Defense Export Revenue

India’s arms and defence exports has touched a record of Rs 13,000 crore (USD 163.9 million) in the financial year 2021-22 with private sector accounting for the majority of the sales.

The US, the Philippines and other countries in South-East Asia, West Asia and Africa were the main destinations for defence exports, which witnessed a substantial increase over the preceding fiscal. The arms exports in 2021-22 were around eight times of exports about five years back. The private sector contributes 70% of the total exports while the remaining 30% comes from the public sector.

“In 2021-22, we have recorded Rs 13,000 crore of exports, which is the highest ever number that we have ever recorded in defence,” Additional Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjay Jaju said on Friday. One of the major sales includes the Rs 2,770 core (USD 375 million) contract to export BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines, which is expected to pave the way for more such deals with the country as well as other Asean countries.

75 newly-developed AI products and technologies with applications in defence are expected be launched during the first “Artificial Intelligence in Defence” symposium to be conducted on Monday. Defence secretary Ajay Kumar has stated that the products are in the domains of automation/unmanned/robotics systems, cyber security, human behaviour analysis, intelligent monitoring system, logistics and supply chain management, speech/voice analysis and C4ISR (command, control, communication, computer and intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance) systems. At the event, the Indian defence minister, Rajnath Singh will be rewarding the best performing private and public sector defence export organisations.