Can India defend itself with its own weapons?
For decades the answer was blunt: India bought its security abroad, the world's largest arms importer. That is still partly true — but the direction has reversed. Imports are falling, domestic production and exports are at records, and reliance on any single supplier is at a 60-year low. One citadel still holds out: the jet engine.
The turn toward self-reliance
The starting point — a top importer1
World's #2 buyerIndia has for years been one of the world's largest arms importers, accounting for about 8.3% of global arms imports in 2024. Self-reliance in defence starts from a position of deep dependence.
Diversifying away from one supplier1
Russia reliance fallingRussia's share of India's arms imports has fallen to ~36%, from 55% in 2015–19 and 72% in 2010–14 — its lowest in six decades — as India spreads purchases across France, Israel and the US.
Building at home — production2
Record & risingDomestic defence production hit a record ~₹1.27 lakh crore in FY24 — up roughly 174% since FY15 — with indigenous platforms like Tejas, the Akash missile and warships built in India.
Selling to the world — exports3
Record highsDefence exports reached record levels (~₹21,000 crore in FY24 and climbing since), turning India from a pure buyer into a genuine, if young, arms exporter.
The last citadel — the jet engine4
Still importedThe hardest technology remains out of reach: India's Tejas fighter flies on imported GE engines, and a fully indigenous fighter aero-engine is still years away. This is the frontier of true defence self-reliance.
A nation that must buy its weapons can be disarmed by a supplier's veto.
Import-dependence in defence is the most dangerous kind — a supplier can simply refuse spares in a crisis. India's answer has been to build: record domestic production, record exports, and a deliberate spread away from over-reliance on Russia.2,3,1 The unfinished work is the hardest tier — jet engines and other high-end systems.4 Defence shows self-reliance as a direction of travel, not a finished state — and the travel is real.
India is not yet self-reliant in defence — but it is no longer merely a customer. Production and exports are at all-time highs, single-supplier dependence is fading, and indigenous platforms are entering service. To finish the journey, India must crack the jet engine and other frontier technologies. It is closer than at any point in its history.
- 1.SIPRI, via ThePrint — India the world's 2nd-largest arms importer in 2024 (~8.3% of global imports); Russia's share down to ~36% from 72% in 2010–14
- 2.The Tribune — India's defence production reached a record ~Rs 1.27 lakh crore in FY24 (up ~174% since FY15)
- 3.Drishti IAS — India's defence exports at record highs (~Rs 21,000 crore in FY24), part of the Atmanirbhar (self-reliance) push
- 4.USI of India — India's Tejas fighter still relies on imported jet engines (GE, USA); an indigenous aero-engine remains the key gap
Figures are directional and drawn from public reporting; they indicate scale, not audited accounts, and shift year to year.