Now Reading: Defence production quadrupled to Rs 1.78 lakh crore: Rajnath Singh
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Defence production quadrupled to Rs 1.78 lakh crore: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told soldiers on the eve of the 80th Independence Day that domestic defence production hit a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, nearly four times the…
The Story in Brief
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told soldiers on the eve of the 80th Independence Day that domestic defence production hit a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, nearly four times the Rs 46,000 crore in 2014. Defence exports surged from Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 38,424 crore in 2025-26, a 56-fold increase, with products reaching over 80 countries. The defence budget for 2026-27 stands at Rs 7.85 lakh crore, up from Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14. The Ministry of Defence added that the Indian Army has achieved 91% indigenisation in ammunition, having developed 159 of 175 variants.
Singh attributed the growth to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives. He highlighted successful tests of the Advanced Agni missile with MIRV technology, the RudraM-II missile, and the indigenous Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile. The government has set a target of Rs 3 lakh crore in annual defence production and Rs 50,000 crore in exports by 2029.
The Indian Opinion
The fourfold production jump is a genuine achievement, but the private sector still accounts for only 24% of output, up just two points from last year. Claims of self-reliance will ring hollow unless private firms take a far bigger role and import bills actually shrink. The test is whether the 91% ammunition indigenisation figure translates into lower dependency on foreign spares for frontline platforms. The Rs 50,000-crore export target by 2029 is ambitious; watch next year’s export numbers to see if momentum is real or just a base-effect spike.
Sources (2): greaterkashmir.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
