India’s defence exports hit record Rs38,424 crore in 2025-26: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday stated that the definition of national security has changed in today’s era. He said national security is not determined solely by the size of armed forces, but also determined by self reliance in defence sector. The Defence Minister was speaking at the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers Champions Awards ceremony in Delhi. He highlighted that India is emerging as a credible and reliable exporter of sophisticated military hardware. Singh said India’s defence exports have reached a record 38 thousand 424 crore rupees in 2025-26. This represents an increase of more than 60 percent compared to the previous financial year. The Defence Minister added that another major achievement is that Defence PSUs contributed 54.84 percent to this landmark milestone, while the private sector’s contribution reached 45.16 percent.

आज का युद्ध केवल हथियारों का नहीं, टेक्नोलॉजी और तेजी से अपडेट होने की क्षमता का भी है। इसलिए R&D पर खर्च को कॉस्ट नहीं, इन्वेस्टमेंट समझना चाहिए। यही इन्वेस्टमेंट संकट के समय हमें बढ़त दिलाएगा, इंडस्ट्री को आगे रखेगा और देश की सुरक्षा मजबूत करेगा। https://t.co/4S1YRV0lBJ

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 9, 2026

According to the Ministry of Defence, a total of 15 Champion Awards were presented at the event, recognising organisations for their achievements in indigenous technology development, product innovation, design, import substitution, manufacturing excellence and exports.