Interest in the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a collaboration between India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, has grown beyond Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia to include inquiries from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Thailand, Brazil, and Chile. India is enhancing arms exports in Asia, with discussions underway with the United Arab Emirates for the sale of the BrahMos missile, potentially marking its debut in the Gulf region. The missile, traveling at approximately Mach 2.8, is equipped with a 200-300-kilogram warhead and boasts an extended range of about 450 kilometers in its latest versions.
The United Arab Emirates is also exploring the acquisition of the Akashteera Air defense command-and-control system from India, developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited and the Indian Army. India is establishing the necessary infrastructure to become a long-term arms supplier, focusing on lifecycle support systems and end-use monitoring. Additionally, the country is strengthening its diplomatic capabilities to manage potential repercussions when its weapons are utilized by importing nations.
Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, disclosed that India has finalized a BrahMos deal with Vietnam and is in the concluding stages of an agreement with Indonesia. Indonesia has expressed support for establishing a Joint Defence Industry Cooperation Committee, encompassing technology transfer, joint research and development, and supply-chain integration. Notably, recent buyers of Indian defense equipment have ongoing maritime disputes with China or other regional security concerns, prompting analysts to highlight India’s response to market demand rather than any formal anti-China stance.
India’s defense exports surged to a record Rs 38,424 crore in FY26, marking a substantial increase of around 62% from the previous year. Furthermore, reports indicate that drones are set to be a rapidly growing segment within India’s defense ecosystem, with the tactical drone procurement opportunity expected to rise significantly from Rs 30-35 billion to nearly Rs 120-140 billion. The defense sector in India is poised for a structural, multi-year growth phase driven by indigenization, heightened defense capital expenditure, escalating exports, and the swift adoption of advanced technologies.
