Defence production soars to all-time high of Rs 1.5L cr: MoD

India’s annual defence production has soared to an all-time high of Rs 1,50,590 crore in the financial Year (FY) 2024-25, the Ministry of Defence announced on Saturday.

The milestone represents a robust 18% growth over the previous fiscal's output of Rs 1.27 lakh crore, and a 90% increase since FY 2019-20, when the figure was Rs 79,071 crore.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has lauded the collective efforts of the Department of Defence Production and all stakeholders -- that is the defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), public sector manufacturers, and the private industry in achieving this landmark.

The minister said the upward trajectory was a clear indicator of India's strengthening defence industrial base.

DPSUs and other PSUs accounted for approximately 77% of the total production, while the private sector contributed 23% of the country’s defence production.

Both public and private segments of the industry have demonstrated consistent year-on-year growth, attributed to far-reaching policy reforms, enhanced ease of doing business, and a strategic focus on indigenisation over the past decade.

The overall production of DPSUs and private sector has increased by 16% and 28%, respectively, in FY 2024-25.

The MoD said this was record-setting achievement and underscores the growing momentum of the Government’s push to self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The emphasis to reduce the dependency on imports and create a defence industrial complex that not only caters to India's needs but also strengthens the potential of exports has shown positive results.

Separately, defence exports have been to the tune of Rs 23,622 crore in FY 2024-25. It was a growth of Rs 2,539 crore or 12.04% over the defence exports figures of FY 2023-24, which were Rs 21,083 crore.