India’s defence-export story is no longer confined to rifles, ammunition and lower-end military equipment. The emergence of BrahMos and Akash in overseas markets points to a different phase: India is beginning to export complete missile and air-defence architectures with operational relevance. The shift matters because these systems combine indigenous design, domestic manufacturing and sovereign sustainment. India’s defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in FY2025-26, up 62.66% from ₹23,622 crore a year earlier. The private sector accounted for 45.16% of that value, while DPSUs contributed 54.84%. (Press Information Bureau)
The more important development, however, lies beneath the headline export figure. BrahMos gives India an entry point into the market for high-speed precision strike systems, while Akash demonstrates that Indian air-defence technology can compete internationally on mobility, multi-target engagement and indigenous support. Their export trajectories also extend India’s defence-industrial footprint into regions traditionally associated with Russian, European or American suppliers. That does not mean India has displaced those suppliers, but it does create additional choices for countries seeking modern military capabilities without depending entirely on a single external ecosystem.
The $600M BrahMos Arc: Building a Supersonic Coastal Deterrent in the South China Sea
The BrahMos export story began with the Philippines, which signed a contract worth approximately $375 million for three BrahMos shore-based anti-ship missile batteries. The system gives the Philippine Marine Corps a mobile coastal-strike capability built around a supersonic cruise missile. Its significance extends beyond the contract value because the Philippines can use such a system to strengthen deterrence across strategically important maritime approaches.
Indonesia has also explored BrahMos acquisition, including discussions involving naval and coastal applications. Vietnam has separately remained an important potential market in reporting about BrahMos exports. However, the frequently quoted combined figure of around $600 million for the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam should not be treated as three confirmed contracts. The Philippine contract is established; Indonesian and Vietnamese figures represent reported discussions or potential packages rather than equivalent signed orders.
The operational attraction is straightforward. BrahMos combines high speed with precision guidance and a low-altitude terminal flight profile. A coastal battery can therefore threaten surface vessels without requiring a large fleet of combat aircraft or major naval formations. For Southeast Asian states facing complicated littoral geography, that creates an additional layer of maritime deterrence. (Press Information Bureau)
BrahMos has also gained an important operational reference point through India’s own military experience. During Operation Sindoor in May 2025, India publicly highlighted the use of indigenous systems and subsequently described BrahMos as having demonstrated its operational value. The Ministry of Defence also highlighted the missile’s precision-strike capabilities and later reported a BrahMos combat launch by an Indian Army unit. (Press Information Bureau)
That experience strengthens the export proposition, although operational claims about any particular weapon should remain tied to officially documented information. The broader industrial story is equally important. The BrahMos production ecosystem now extends into India’s defence corridors, including the Lucknow integration and testing facility. This creates a domestic manufacturing base capable of supporting future orders rather than treating exports as isolated one-off transactions. (Press Information Bureau)
Akash’s Breakthrough in Post-Soviet Terrain: Penetrating Armenia and Central Asia
Akash represents a different export proposition from BrahMos. Instead of offering a long-range offensive strike system, it provides an integrated surface-to-air missile architecture combining launchers, radars, command systems and interceptors. India’s own experience has given the system an operational reference point. During Operation Sindoor, the government stated that Akash performed effectively and highlighted its ability to engage multiple targets while incorporating electronic counter-countermeasures. (Press Information Bureau)
Armenia’s procurement of Akash-1S has provided India with a significant entry into a market historically influenced by Soviet and Russian military equipment. However, claims that Akash has already replaced Russian systems across Central Asia require caution. Publicly available evidence does not establish a broad regional replacement of Kub, Pechora or S-300 systems by Akash. Similarly, claims that Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have formally purchased Akash should not be presented as confirmed contracts without authoritative documentation.
The strategic importance lies instead in the possibility of market diversification. Countries operating older Soviet-designed air-defence systems increasingly face the challenge of modernising sensors, command networks and interceptors. An Indian system can offer a different procurement pathway, particularly where customers seek modernisation without rebuilding their entire air-defence architecture around a Western supplier.
Akash also has an important technical selling point: it operates as an integrated weapon system rather than as a standalone missile. Its radar, command-and-control architecture and mobile launchers work together to detect, track and engage airborne threats. The government has specifically highlighted its multi-target engagement capability and ECCM features. (Press Information Bureau)
The Akash family is also expanding beyond the original system. Akash-1S improves the missile’s seeker architecture, while Akash-NG represents a newer-generation system with different aerodynamic, sensor and engagement characteristics. Export customers therefore have the possibility of selecting between mature operational technology and newer-generation capability as India expands production and integration.
The larger strategic message is not that India has displaced Russia across Central Asian air-defence markets. It is that Indian systems are beginning to appear as an additional option in regions where Russian-origin equipment historically dominated. That change could become more significant if India can demonstrate reliable deliveries, competitive lifecycle costs and long-term missile and radar support.
Strategic Export Comparison: BrahMos Weapon Complex vs Akash Weapon System
| Parameter | BrahMos Weapon System | Akash Air Defence System |
|---|---|---|
| System Category | Supersonic cruise missile for anti-ship and land-attack roles | Mobile surface-to-air missile system |
| Primary Export Customer | Philippines; other markets remain under discussion | Armenia is a confirmed export customer |
| Propulsion Architecture | Solid rocket booster with ramjet propulsion | Solid-fuel missile propulsion architecture |
| Operational Envelope | Supersonic flight; export configurations depend on contract | Akash family offers different ranges across variants |
| Industrial Leads | BrahMos Aerospace, with Indian and Russian origins | DRDO, BDL, BEL and wider Indian industry |
| Strategic Advantage | Rapid precision strike against high-value surface targets | Mobile air defence with multi-target engagement and ECCM |
The Macro Surge: Dissecting the FY26 Record of ₹38,424 Crore
India’s missile-export ambitions sit within a much larger expansion of the defence-industrial sector. Defence exports reached ₹38,424 crore in FY2025-26, representing a year-on-year increase of 62.66%. The previous fiscal year recorded ₹23,622 crore, meaning the latest figure added ₹14,802 crore in export value. (Press Information Bureau)
The composition of that growth also challenges the idea that Indian defence exports depend exclusively on government-owned companies. DPSUs contributed ₹21,071 crore, or 54.84%, while private-sector companies contributed ₹17,353 crore, representing 45.16%. DPSU exports themselves increased sharply, while private companies continued to expand their contribution. (Press Information Bureau)
That industrial balance matters for complex weapons such as BrahMos and Akash. Missile exports require more than an airframe or launcher. They involve seekers, propulsion, radars, electronics, software, command systems, spares, maintenance and long-term support.
India’s defence-production value also reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in FY2025-26, according to the Ministry of Defence. The private sector contributed around ₹42,000 crore, or approximately 24% of total production. (Press Information Bureau)
The government has previously set ambitious export targets for the coming years. Reaching ₹50,000 crore would require continued growth across missiles, naval systems, aerospace equipment, electronics and other categories rather than dependence on a single flagship product.
Strategic Autonomy Without Geopolitical Strings: Why New Delhi Is Gaining Export Space
India’s emerging export proposition rests on a combination of technology, price, production capacity and political relationships. Customers purchasing a missile system do not evaluate only its maximum range or speed. They also examine training, spare parts, software support, upgrade pathways and the political reliability of the supplier.
This creates an opening for India in markets seeking alternatives to established Russian, European and American suppliers. Yet the argument should not be simplified into a claim that India offers completely unrestricted or “string-free” defence exports. Indian exports still operate through government approvals, end-user requirements and export-control mechanisms.
What India can offer is a different procurement relationship built around long-term bilateral defence cooperation. BrahMos and Akash also provide customers with systems in which India controls substantial portions of the design and production chain. That can matter for future upgrades and sustainment.
For Southeast Asian customers, BrahMos offers a high-speed maritime-strike capability that can complement existing aircraft and naval forces. For countries seeking layered air defence, Akash offers an indigenous Indian alternative with a complete radar-to-missile architecture.
India’s growing domestic production base strengthens this proposition. The government’s FY2025-26 export figures demonstrate that the country now possesses a substantially larger industrial foundation than it did a decade ago. (Press Information Bureau)
The comparison reveals why BrahMos and Akash occupy different positions in India’s export strategy. BrahMos sells a precision-strike capability, particularly relevant to maritime deterrence and coastal defence. Akash sells an integrated air-defence architecture, where radar, command-and-control and missile elements operate as a unified system.
Neither system by itself makes India a dominant global arms supplier. But together, they demonstrate a change in the type of equipment India can offer overseas. The country is moving from exporting components and relatively simple platforms toward complete, operationally relevant weapon systems.
That transition is arguably the most important development behind the ₹38,424 crore export figure. If India can convert the current momentum into sustained production, dependable after-sales support and additional contracts, BrahMos and Akash could become gateways into much broader international markets for Indian missiles, radars, electronic warfare systems and combat platforms.
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