From Tejas to BrahMos: How India Built a Trillion-Rupee Defence Factory

Record-breaking production figures and a decade of strategic focus signal a shift in India’s quest for military self-reliance.

The numbers coming out of South Block are hard to ignore. India’s defence production has soared to a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore for the 2025-26 fiscal year, a figure that does more than just fill spreadsheets—it underscores a definitive pivot in how the country arms itself. To put this in perspective, production has more than doubled from the Rs 84,643 crore recorded in FY 2020-21, and when measured against the Rs 43,746 crore baseline of 2013-14, the growth is nearly quadrupled.

This isn't just about factory output; it’s about a deliberate, decade-long push for Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently spotlighted this transition, sharing a digital deep-dive into the strategic systems that now form the backbone of the Indian armed forces. From the skies to the seas, the strategy has been to move away from being a global importer to a nation that designs and manufactures its own frontline hardware.

The Pillars of Indigenous Power

The face of this transformation is undoubtedly the Tejas. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program has evolved from a long-gestating project into a cornerstone of India’s aerospace ambitions. With the Air Force already flying the Mk-1 and gearing up for the large-scale induction of the Tejas Mk-1A, the domestic ecosystem is maturing. Alongside this, the Akash missile system has become a vital component of the country’s indigenous air defence network, proving that India can hold its own against complex aerial threats.

Beyond these, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile remains a potent symbol of joint-venture success and strategic reach. These platforms, combined with the induction of indigenous naval assets like the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, show a shift in how New Delhi views its strategic position. The focus is no longer just on buying off-the-shelf technology but on building a "defence stack" that can sustain long-term operations without reliance on foreign supply chains.

Why it matters

The broader implication of this production surge is the decoupling of India’s security requirements from global market volatility. For years, the Indian defence sector was hampered by bureaucratic delays and a heavy dependence on foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). By hitting a 15.6% growth rate in a single year, the government is signalling to both domestic private players and public sector units that the capital is available for those who can deliver high-tech capability.

However, the real test lies ahead. As India eyes the 2047 goal for a fully developed and self-reliant nation, the challenge will be scaling up fifth-generation technology, such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). If the last decade was about proving that India could build, the next decade will be about proving it can innovate at a pace that keeps up with shifting global geopolitical realities.