Atmanirbhar Export: Leveraging Indigenous Defence Production for Strategic Autonomy and Global Outreach

India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative represents a strategic shift towards developing indigenous defence capabilities to complement self-governance and global expansion, especially on the defence front. This change has significantly improved India’s position in the global defence market, transforming it from a major defence importer to a new exporter. India’s defence exports have shown incredible growth, reaching an all-time high of Rs 21,083 crore (about US$ 2.63 billion) in the financial year 2023–24 budget, an increase compared to previous years, and marking a spectacular growth of 32.5 per cent over the previous fiscal year. This growth reflects the expansion of India’s domestic defence production capacity, which it now exports to more than 85 countries around the world. Products such as helicopters, ships, missiles and military vehicles demonstrate the diversity and sophistication of India’s defence exports. These efforts are in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which aims to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities in the world, paving the way for reaching a target of Rs 35,000 crore (about US$ 5 billion) exports by 2025 . India aims to strengthen its position as a reliable supplier of high-quality defence technology, thereby contributing to global security and the development of international cooperation. This article examines the essence of India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence production and its implications for strategic autonomy and global outreach.

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