India's growing stature in the global arms market, so far agreements with 85 countries

National Desk:
The Government of India is making continuous efforts to make the country self-reliant in the defense sector.  The government is therefore encouraging domestic defense manufacturing as well as selling indigenous weapons to smaller allies.  However even now we are dependent on big countries like Russia USA, France to fulfill our defense needs Israel.  But now we are also producing defense equipment domestically to some extent under Make in India and promoting its exports.  In the last fiscal year, 2022, we have achieved a record defense equipment exports of Rs. 15,920 crore.  We are trying to establish ourselves as an important player in the international arms market.
   Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently tweeted, "Our government will continue to support efforts to make India a defense manufacturing hub."  "We intend to fivefold our existing defense exports of $1.5 billion by 2024-25 to achieve the target of $5 billion," he said at the inauguration of AERO India-2023 in Bangalore.  According to the Defense Ministry, India is now exporting domestically manufactured defense equipment to more than 85 countries.  "Indian industry has shown its ability to design and develop defense equipment to the world with 100 firms currently exporting defense products," the defense ministry said in a recent statement.  The weapons we are currently exporting include supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles, advanced light helicopters (Tejas), Pinaka rocket launchers, Akash Astra and Nag missiles, light weapons, Arjun tanks, ammunition etc.