France produces Airbus helicopters and Rafale components there: India has never exported so much military equipment with a total of 3.5 billion euros

During the fiscal year 2025-2026, these exports soared by 62% compared to the same period of the previous year, praised the Ministry of Defense on Thursday. India exported a record amount of over 384 billion rupees (approximately 3.5 billion euros) worth of armaments during the fiscal year 2025-2026, a 62% increase compared to the same period of the previous year, the Ministry of Defense congratulated on Thursday.

New Delhi has made the modernization of its army a top priority, especially due to recurring tensions with its neighbors China and Pakistan. While it has been one of the leading importers of military equipment in the world for many years, India is also now focusing on producing its own weapons.

The surge in sales last year “reflects the growing confidence of foreign countries in India’s national capabilities and industrial power,” emphasized Minister Rajnath Singh.

“The India is on track to becoming a hub of the global arms industry,” he insisted.

The “made in India” equipment exported includes missiles, warships, artillery, and radar systems, in 2025-26, it was made 55% by public enterprises and the rest by the private sector. They were purchased by around a hundred countries, with the United States, France, and Armenia being among the top.

The Indian defense budget for the fiscal year, which began on April 1, saw a 15% increase to around 75 billion euros.

This surge is symbolized by France, which is accelerating its industrial establishment strategy in India by expanding the production of military equipment, such as Airbus launching a helicopter assembly chain with Tata Group, as part of New Delhi’s policy of partial relocation. This dynamic is part of an increasingly close defense cooperation with the government of Narendra Modi, who urges foreign industrialists to produce locally.

This movement goes beyond just Airbus and also includes the Rafale program of Dassault Aviation, with an expected increase in manufacturing in India. For France, it is about securing a strategic market while adapting its industrial model, at the cost of an increasing transfer of arms production to India.