After just four days of war, which Bharat waged against Pakistan’s terrorist activities, a ceasefire may have spared the terrorist nation from further losses, but Pakistan has already suffered significant damage in this short period. Over the course of these four days of conflict, Bharat has clearly demonstrated its defence capabilities—particularly its indigenously developed defence equipment—which is comparable to, and in some cases even superior to, the best in their respective categories globally.
Boost to Indigenous Defence Exports
Bharat’s defence exports surged from Rs 686 crore in 2013–14 to Rs 21,083 crore in 2023–24, and further to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024–25. The country this year, aims to export defence equipment worth Rs 35,000 crore to the rest of the world. India currently exports to over 85 countries, including Italy, the Maldives, Russia, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Egypt, Israel, Spain, and Chile.
Key defence equipment exported by India includes Akash Surface-to-Air Missile System, which has been exported to countries like Armenia and showcased in Sudan; BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missiles, currently being exported to the Philippines, with other Southeast Asian nations also expressing interest (deals are in progress). Then Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launchers are exported to Armenia; 155mm Artillery Guns, also exported to Armenia, underscoring India’s strength in advanced artillery systems; and the Dornier-228 aircraft, exported to various countries for transport and surveillance roles.
Although these defence items were already in demand from various countries, the scenario has shifted further in India’s favour after Operation Sindoor. India is now better positioned to export even more defence equipment. The operation not only enhanced India’s military credibility but also served as a live demonstration of the reliability and effectiveness of its indigenously developed defence systems.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the authenticity of Made in Bharat weapons has been proven during Operation Sindoor. He said, “Today, the world is witnessing that the time has come for Made in India defence equipment to play a key role in 21st-century warfare.” India has brilliantly demonstrated its capabilities and proven its superiority in modern warfare.
This operation provided India with a rare opportunity to showcase its indigenous weapons and defence systems in action. In fact, one could say that India’s current engagement on the battlefield has also served as a strategic promotion—demonstrating the performance of Indian-made weapons not just in controlled test conditions, but in a real war-like scenario against a country supported by major military powers such as China and Turkey.
Efficaciousness of Akash Missile System
The Economic Times reports that amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, the Akash missile system has passed its Agni Pariksha (trial by fire). Notably, the Akash missile defence system is an indigenously developed platform that demonstrated its effectiveness during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Developed over 15 years with significant investment, the Akash system successfully intercepted incoming drones and missiles, proving its battlefield strength and enhancing India’s defence capabilities.
Armenia became the first country to place an order for 15 Akash missile systems worth Rs 6,000 crore, with the first batch delivered last year. However, it was during the recent conflict that the Akash system captured significant national and international attention. This missile system was developed under the visionary leadership of former President of India, late Dr APJ. Abdul Kalam, popularly known as India’s “Missile Man.” Remarkably, India was able to develop this highly effective defence system with a modest investment of just Rs 500 crore. Experts state that Akash can track and engage multiple targets in real time from any direction. It can detect a missile from 70 kilometres away and destroy it at a range of up to 30 kilometres. During the conflict, India’s layered air defence system—featuring both the Akash and the S-400 Triumph—stood like an impenetrable wall.
Now that the performance of the Akash missile system has been proven beyond doubt, India can expect substantial orders from around the world. Even an order for just 200 missiles could potentially generate revenues of up to Rs 30,000 crore.
Bharat’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile took centrestage during the India-Pakistan conflict when it was launched on May 10, 2025. It is reported that the Indian Air Force targeted several strategic locations inside Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistan’s attempt to violate Indian airspace. Although the Government of India and the Indian Army have not officially confirmed these strikes, the timing coincided with the conflict.
During the same period, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the BrahMos Integration and Testing Centre in Lucknow—highlighting the strategic importance of this missile system. Following its successful trial on June 12, 2001, BrahMos was reportedly used in combat for the first time during Operation Sindoor. Jointly developed by India and Russia, BrahMos is a two-stage missile. The first stage accelerates to supersonic speeds, and in the second stage, the missile separates and hits the target at speeds exceeding three times the speed of sound. Reports suggest that BrahMos missiles struck their intended targets with high precision, drawing significant international attention.
Although BrahMos is a joint venture with Russia, which could present challenges in marketing it to Western nations, its proven performance in actual combat could go a long way in boosting its global demand and opening new markets. According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Government of India, “Operation Sindoor also produced concrete evidence of hostile technologies neutralised by Indian systems — with the recovery of pieces of Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles, Turkish-origin UAVs, long-range rockets, quadcopters, and commercial drones.” PIB further stated, “These were recovered and identified, showing that despite Pakistan’s attempts to exploit advanced foreign-supplied weaponry, India’s indigenous air defence and electronic warfare networks remained superior.”
Between 2020 and 2024, global exports of defence goods averaged US$138 billion annually, as per data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The top five arms-exporting countries were the USA, France, Russia, China, and Germany, holding market shares of 43 per cent, 9.6 per cent, 7.8 per cent, 5.9 per cent and 5.6 per cent, respectively. Collectively, these five nations accounted for approximately 72 per cent of global arms exports during the specified period.
As is evident from the data, the defence export market has been primarily dominated by the USA and other Western countries. However, during these four days of the India-Pakistan conflict, India demonstrated that performance and reliability of its indigenously developed defence equipment in a way caused concern among these established exporters. Realising that a prolonged conflict could result in India capturing a significant portion of the global defence market, many of these same countries—who had long encouraged the Russia-Ukraine war—suddenly began voicing concerns over escalating tensions in South Asia and clamoured for peace. Their concern, however, was not rooted in a genuine desire for peace, but rather in protecting their defence export interests.
We now see that already, global defence exports are no longer monopolised by a handful of nations. While the U.S., Russia, and France continue to lead, emerging players like India, South Korea, Turkey, and Israel are quickly gaining ground. With the success of Operation Sindoor and the proven battlefield performance of its indigenously developed systems, India is poised to become a major defence exporter—transitioning from a net importer to a significant contributor in the global military supply chain.
In this context, China and Turkey are likely to be particularly concerned. Not only was the Indian Army able to successfully strike targets with its homegrown weaponry, but India’s defence systems also neutralised all Pakistani attempts to inflict damage—demonstrating, beyond doubt, the superiority of Indian-made defence equipment.
