India rises to third-largest arms supplier to Europe, Defence Secretary says
Defence Secretary RK Singh announced that India has become the third-largest exporter of weapons to Europe, driven by a surge in artillery and other defence goods.
In a media briefing, Defence Secretary RK Singh highlighted the transformation of India’s defence industry from a narrow public-sector base to a broad ecosystem of roughly 840 licensed firms and 17,000 small-medium enterprises, now delivering about €17 billion in domestic sales. He said this diversification has translated into a rapid rise in exports, especially artillery shells and other standard ammunition, positioning India as the third-largest arms supplier to Europe.
The growth aligns with the EU’s Rearm Europe programme and comes as India cuts its dependence on Russian equipment, while strengthening links with France and other European nations. Singh outlined intentions to create joint ventures in Europe and invite European partners to set up operations in India, provided they meet Make in India localisation requirements. He stressed that European firms would face similar, though lighter, localisation thresholds compared with India’s 50 % rule. The overall aim, he said, is to integrate supply chains between Indian and European defence manufacturers and expand cooperation under comparable offset frameworks.
Why it matters
The story shows India's expanding role in global arms markets and its shift away from Russian dependence.
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