New Delhi

Defence Secretary Rajesh Singh on Friday described cost advantage as among India’s USPs in defence exports, emphasising that the ministry expects exports to reach Rs 50,000 crore in the next two years.

Answering a question on defence exports at the 13th PAFI Annual Forum 2026 Panel Discussion on Building India's Competitive Advantage, Singh highlighted BrahMos as among the most well-known export products.

“The most well-known (product) is the BrahMos, which is fairly coveted and which we are selling to or in the process of selling to, several Southeast Asian countries. There are (exports) also increasingly in areas like artillery and mounted gun systems. We have DRDO technology-based private sector products which have been exported to certain countries, and there is more demand coming. Possibly also Akash surface-to-air missiles where there is a lot of interest,” Singh said, answering a query by ANI.

 “Our USP really is that we can offer missiles at almost one-fourth of the price of what foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) offer. As we open up and as some of these platforms and systems prove themselves, there will be a tremendous amount of demand. We've reached Rs 38,000 crores of orders recently, for the last year, and in the future we have a target of Rs 50,000 crores,” he added. 

Rajesh Singh said that technological proficiency and cost advantage boost exports. 

 “People will not buy from you if they can find the same capability from somewhere else at an equal or cheaper rate. Exports prove both that have the technological proficiency as well as the cost advantage. So as this grows, it actually points to the maturing of the defence industrial ecosystem. I don't have data projections on this, but as I mentioned, we expect to reach Rs 50,000 crores in less than two years.”

Defence Secretary told reporters later that defence exports enable a nation to strengthen the capabilities of friendly nations also and creates long-term dependencies.

"Defence exports enable you to, one, show that you are providing good technology, and that you are doing it at competitive prices. It also enables you to strengthen the capabilities of your friends. It creates long-term dependencies on you so that you will be able to support them over a long period of time through spares, maintenance, and other support, and through deploying teams to those areas. It earns valuable foreign exchange and, of course, it generates employment as well,” Rajesh Singh said.

Answering a query on Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, he referred to bids by Indian defence majors.  

"We already know that for AMCA, we are fielding proposals from three shortlisted companies. Those are the kind of initiatives I had in mind... In general, the cost for our missile production rates is lower, and therefore that is an area where export potential is high," he said. 

According to the Defence Ministry, India recorded Rs 38,424 crore defence exports in 2025–26.

The defence exporter base has expanded to 145 firms, reflecting wider industrial participation. Rising exports demonstrate increasing global confidence in Indian defence systems and technologies.

READ MORE:How Mudasir Dar’s brought peace to hotbed of militancy in Kashmir

The revamped Defence Exim portal has also enabled end-to-end application processing, automated company verification, simplified registration, real-time tracking, and secure payment integration. It enhances transparency, efficiency, and regulatory adherence, while supporting Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India goals, positioning India as a defence manufacturer and exporter.