BENGALURU: India’s defense exports have grown to nearly Rs 38,000 crore this year and are expected to cross Rs 50,000 crore soon, signaling the country’s emergence as a major global defense technology power, according to G Satheesh Reddy, former chairman of DRDO, scientific advisor to the NSArak Board.
Speaking at the ‘PanIIT Bangalore Summit 2026’, Reddy said that due to the rapid evolution of India’s indigenous defense ecosystem, the country made major advances in missile, radar, electronics, tank, submarine and AI-guided warfare technologies over the past decade. Modern warfare is increasingly dependent on technological innovation and unexpected capabilities.
Highlighting the achievements, he said India has developed rapid response surface-to-air missile systems capable of launching within five seconds, medium-range air defense systems and MIRV (MIRV) technology that enables a single missile to hit multiple targets simultaneously.
On hypersonic technologies, he said India successfully tested a jet engine for 1,200 seconds – claimed to be a global first – paving the way for long-range hypersonic missiles. India has also developed long-range hypersonic anti-ship missiles capable of hitting targets 1,500 km away.
Reddy said India’s armed forces now have more than 2,000 domestically developed radar systems, including the Uttam radar. Work on artificial intelligence, autonomous underwater vehicles, anti-drone systems and smart artillery shells is progressing well.
He said India’s indigenous defense production crossed Rs 1.54 lakh crore in 2024-25, while startups, IITs and private industries are driving innovation in aerospace, drones, cyber security and quantum communication technologies.
