India Aims to Boost Defence Manufacturing, Exports at Aero India 2025
India is ramping up its efforts to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing and boost military exports, announced Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence of India, at the opening of Aero India 2025, the country’s largest air show. The five-day event, organized by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with the Aeronautical Society of India, concludes on February 14, 2025.
With global defence giants in attendance, the 15th biennial event at Bengaluru highlights India’s ambitions to modernize its military while reducing dependence on foreign arms imports. The defence manufacturing value across India is anticipated to surpass INR 1.25 trillion (US$ 14.24 billion) during this financial year—revealed Singh—while defence export figures are projected to hit a record INR 210 billion (US$ 2.4 billion).
More than 150 foreign companies, alongside 30 countries’ defence ministers and representatives, are participating in the exhibition. Visitors at the exhibition can witness fifth-generation fighter jets, including Russia’s Su-57 and the US’ Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, reinforcing India’s position as a global defence hub.
India is pursuing new military agreements and joint defence manufacturing initiatives as Western nations show growing interest, aiming to reduce its traditional reliance on Russian military suppliers. A US delegation consisting of more than 24 exhibitors is attending the show to advance Indo-US defence relations as well as business partnerships.