Hitting the mark on defence exports

Even a cursory look at the drivers of Indian defence exports reveals the salience of simplified industrial licensing, easing of export restrictions, and issuance of no-objection certificates

Speaking at the recent Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation seminar Swavlamban in New Delhi, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi reiterated the government’s will to prise India out of its addiction to defence imports and turn it into an exporter of military equipment. Citing the example of the BrahMos cruise missile, which India is exporting to the Philippines, Mr Modi asserted the need for greater acquisition of indigenously-produced defence products by the Indian armed forces to establish the credibility of these products internationally.

The numbers recently released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) suggest that the government’s efforts are bearing fruit,