The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is emerging as the centrepiece of India's push to become a major global arms exporter, with Southeast Asia rapidly becoming its most consequential defence market, according to a report published on Monday, 18 May 2025. The missile's growing traction — particularly among South China Sea littoral states — is reinforcing India's Defence Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) agenda while expanding its strategic footprint across the Global South.

BrahMos: The Missile Driving India's Export Push

The BrahMos missile, jointly developed with Russia, is a supersonic cruise missile capable of reaching speeds between Mach 2.8 and Mach 3 — significantly faster than most conventional cruise missiles deployed by naval forces worldwide. It can strike targets at ranges exceeding 400 kilometres and is operable from land, sea, air, and submarine platforms. This combination of speed, precision, and versatility has made it a sought-after deterrent, particularly for nations seeking to bolster anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities.

According to the report, the missile's appeal is directly linked to China's assertive naval posture in the South China Sea, where Beijing's territorial claims overlap with those of several littoral states. Nations in the region are increasingly looking to the BrahMos as a cost-effective means of strengthening coastal defence.

Southeast Asia: India's Newest Defence Market

The Philippines became India's first BrahMos customer, receiving its first missile batch in 2024. A second batch was delivered in April 2025, cementing the bilateral defence relationship. The Philippines acquisition is considered one of the most strategically significant coastal-defence deals in recent Southeast Asian history.

Indonesia is reportedly on the verge of its own BrahMos procurement decision, which analysts describe as a potential A2/AD breakthrough for the archipelago nation. Meanwhile, Vietnam is identified as another likely customer. According to the report, India and Vietnam formally discussed a BrahMos deal during Vietnamese President To Lam's state visit to India from 5 to 7 May 2025, as part of the broader India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Rajnath Singh's Diplomatic Push

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is currently on a two-nation tour covering Vietnam and South Korea, focused on deepening strategic military ties, defence industrial partnerships, and maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. In a post on X, Singh stated: 'I will focus on deepening strategic military cooperation, strengthening defence industrial partnerships, boosting maritime collaboration, and promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.'

Singh has previously voiced confidence that India's total defence exports will reach ₹50,000 crore by 2030, a target that the BrahMos pipeline is expected to materially support.

India's Broader Defence Export Strategy

Defence exports have increasingly functioned as a foreign policy instrument for New Delhi, enabling it to build diplomatic leverage and deepen partnerships in strategically important regions. The Global South, in particular, has become a focal point of this outreach, with India positioning itself as a credible alternative to Western and Chinese defence suppliers.

This comes amid a sustained expansion in India's domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem, with the BrahMos programme serving as a flagship example of the country's missile production capabilities. As procurement pipelines in Southeast Asia mature and new markets in the Global South open up, India's defence export trajectory is expected to steepen further in the years ahead.