India joins top 25 arms exporters globally as defense exports soar

India is now among the top 25 arms exporters globally, a shift from being the second-largest arms importer from 2015 to 2019. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced this milestone at a university event in Gujarat. Defense exports reached ₹21,083 crore in the 2023-24 financial year, a 30-fold increase from ₹686 crore in 2013-14. Indigenous defense production also rose to ₹1.27 lakh crore, a 2.7-fold increase since 2014-15. More than 100 Indian companies are now exporting defense products, including BrahMos missiles and Dornier aircraft. This growth reflects India's transition from an importer to an exporter in the defense sector.