Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Monday, 27 July 2026 credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for transforming India into a trusted global defence manufacturing and export hub, pointing to the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system as a symbol of the country's shift from a major arms importer to a key security partner worldwide.

Context

In his post on X, Kishan Reddy wrote that India has achieved a 'historic transformation' under Modi's 'visionary leadership,' emerging as a 'trusted global defence manufacturing and export powerhouse.' He specifically cited the BrahMos missile system as evidence of strategic capabilities 'reaching global frontiers,' framing it as a concrete outcome of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

The BrahMos programme is a joint venture between India and Russia, established in 1998, to develop and produce supersonic cruise missiles. It has become one of the most cited examples of India's defence indigenisation and technology collaboration story, particularly after export agreements began extending the system's reach to third countries.

Policy Backdrop

The policy architecture underpinning Kishan Reddy's remarks stretches back to the Make in India programme launched in 2014, which placed domestic defence production at its centre. The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, announced in May 2020, deepened this push with targeted measures to reduce import dependence and scale up indigenous output.

A revised Defence Procurement Procedure in 2020 further prioritised Made-in-India equipment and technology, creating a structured pathway for domestic manufacturers and joint ventures to compete for both national and international contracts. These successive policy layers have been designed to position India not merely as a consumer of global defence technology but as a supplier and partner.

India has historically been among the world's largest arms importers. The sustained policy shift toward domestic production and export capacity represents a structural change in the country's defence economy, with joint ventures such as BrahMos illustrating how technology collaboration is being leveraged for third-country sales.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of this policy direction include domestic defence manufacturers, public sector undertakings, and private sector firms that have entered the defence supply chain under liberalised foreign direct investment norms. Arms exporters and strategic partners stand to gain as India's export portfolio expands.

For recipient countries, India's emergence as a defence supplier introduces a new option in a market historically dominated by a handful of major powers. The BrahMos system, in particular, has drawn interest from several nations in Southeast Asia and beyond, underscoring India's growing role as a security partner rather than a passive buyer.

What's Next

Attention will remain on the progress of additional BrahMos or comparable export contracts and any updates to India's Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy targets. The government has set ambitious goals for defence exports, and milestones in those numbers will be closely watched as a measure of whether the policy transformation Kishan Reddy describes is translating into sustained commercial and strategic outcomes.

As India's defence export ambitions grow, the diplomatic and industrial frameworks supporting them — including joint venture structures, offset policies, and bilateral security agreements — will increasingly define the country's standing in the global arms market.