India Aims To Become Global Arms Supplier Amid Shifting Geopolitical Ties
India-West News Desk
NEW DELHI – After making major inroads as a global manufacturing hub for affordable iPhones and pharmaceuticals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is setting its sights on a new frontier: transforming India into a key exporter of military hardware.
In a bold push to enter the competitive global arms market, India—currently the world’s largest weapons importer after Ukraine—is ramping up state-backed financing and diplomatic efforts to woo foreign buyers, Reuters reports.
The campaign comes at a moment when global alliances are shifting, and nations that once looked exclusively to Washington or Moscow are exploring new sources for their military needs. India, officials say, is poised to offer a compelling alternative: cost-effective, battle-tested equipment backed by government-supported financing.
Central to this strategy is the expansion of the Export-Import Bank of India, which will offer long-term, low-interest loans even to countries with poor credit ratings or high political risk, where traditional lenders hesitate to tread.
New Delhi also plans to deploy more defense attachés across its embassies, with a mandate to directly support and even negotiate arms deals. The focus is especially on nations that have historically depended on Russian weapons systems, a legacy now challenged by Moscow’s supply constraints thanks to being embroiled in Ukraine.
While India’s private sector has only recently begun manufacturing high-end military equipment, the country has long maintained a modest domestic arms industry. State-run Munitions India, for example, continued to produce key items like 155mm artillery shells even as Western nations scaled back production after the Cold War.
Today, those shells cost just $300–$400 per round from India, compared to more than $3,000 in Europe, Reuters said. Some Indian-made artillery rounds have even surfaced on the frontlines in Ukraine, supporting Kyiv’s efforts, it added.
