India aims for ₹3 lakh cr defence production, ₹50,000 cr exports by 2029: Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the Two-Day Delhi Defence Dialogue 2026 on 'Defence Atmanirbharta, Collaborations and Exports' at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies (ANI Photo/Naveen Sharma) | Photo Credit: ANI

India is aiming to achieve defence production worth ₹3 lakh crore and defence exports worth ₹50,000 crore by 2029, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday.

At the parliamentary panel meeting in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Singh also stated that the defence production has risen from ₹46,429 crore in FY 2014-15 to a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, with defence exports, which stood at less than ₹2,000 crore in 2014, growing to approximately ₹40,000 crore.

His reach out to the Members of Parliament of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Defence was focused on ‘Modernisation of Indian Defence Forces’. Comprehensive deliberations took place on the emerging security challenges, warfare paradigms, technological advancements and the imperative of building a future-ready, technologically empowered and operationally agile military, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The Senior NDA Minister laid out the steps taken by the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, across three key dimensions —Budget & Capital Acquisition and Self-reliance’, ‘Technology’ and ‘Human Capital’ — to equip the military to meet the evolving demands of technology-driven modern warfare.

He highlighted that adequate financial resources, coupled with effective utilisation and prioritisation of critical needs of the Services, are essential to strengthening military capabilities.

Strategic partnership

Speaking at another event, Delhi Defence Dialogue, organised by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), Singh called for expanding the scope of defence exports to include maintenance, repair, training, logistics and technology cooperation. At the same time, he advocated that every successful export should become the foundation of an enduring strategic partnership. The domestic defence industry must expand manufacturing capacity, improve quality and strengthen global competitiveness to achieve these objectives by 2029, he said.

Sharing his insights on the theme of this year’s dialogue, ‘Defence Reforms, Aatmanirbharta, Collaborations and Exports’, he described the four elements as interconnected dimensions of India’s objective to become Viksit Bharat by 2047.

He stated that reforms must create an enabling institutional environment, Aatmanirbharta must strengthen indigenous technological capabilities, collaborations must accelerate access to advanced technologies and facilitate co-development, and exports must provide the scale, competitiveness and global partnerships required for a sustainable industrial ecosystem. These four elements are mutually reinforcing pillars of India’s quest for strategic autonomy, he said.

He emphasised that the defence forces must remain important stakeholders in the R&D process, as their operational experience and understanding of the battlefield are invaluable in informing research priorities and assessing the relevance of emerging technologies. At the same time, he stressed the need to look beyond the immediate requirements of the end-user in the research process.

Published on November 3, 2026