Business

India’s defence moment: Can buyer become builder?

By Sohail Khan 22 August 2026, 6:13 pm

Benchmarks
Nifty24,252.0020.16

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
24.08 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›News›Defence›ET WLF 2026: Private players discuss India’s path from defence importer to global power

Read Today's Paper

ET WLF 2026: Private players discuss India’s path from defence importer to global power

Synopsis

Indian defence sector leaders highlight the need for stronger funding and indigenous innovation. Private players are at a turning point, seeking to develop products in India. Leaders stressed that licensed technology and transfers are not sustainable solutions. Owning sovereign intellectual property is seen as the path to improvement. Preference should be given to private sector emulation capabilities for national interest.

Listen to this article in summarized format

Loading…
×
×

Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content

New Year Offer 24 Hours Left
Already a member? Sign In

What's Included

Exclusive Stories
Daily ePaper Access
Smart Market Tools
Curated Investment Ideas
Ad-lite Experience
Subscription

Untitled design - 2026-08-22T172757 — Puneet Kaura, Sameer Joshi, Satyanarayan Nandlal Nuwal and Rajendra Chodankar discuss the role of private industry in strengthening India’s defence capabilities

As India’s defence sector enters a new phase, its private players are also at a turning point, with leaders at the ET World Leaders Forum highlighting the need for stronger funding, indigenous IP and innovation.

“A product can truly be called Indian only when it is innovated and developed in India, rather than built to print or based on transferred technology,” said Puneet Kaura, MD & CEO, Samtel Avionics.

Read more:‘Pakistan is unique': Jaishankar says no other country uses terrorism like it does

Commenting on the challenges, Kaura said the government is keen to expand India’s export market.

“What is missing is dedicated focus on marketing these products more strongly from India. SIDM is already putting in a lot of effort. But there are certain issues that arise when you export. Do we have a help desk in the Ministry of Defence that can take up issues faced by exporters after the export is completed and address them? There is also a need for faster export clearances, which have improved but can be further streamlined.”

Also Read:ET World Leaders Forum 2026: ‘Just in time’ is over, says Jaishankar on why a riskier world needs a ‘just in case’ approach

In FY26, India’s annual defence production rose to an all-time high of Rs 1.78 lakh crore, more than doubling in five years as the government’s push for self-reliance in military manufacturing gathered pace. The record output marked a 15.6% increase from Rs 1.54 lakh crore in FY2024-25 and a 110% jump from Rs 84,643 crore in FY2020-21, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Indigenous defence production has nearly quadrupled from Rs 43,746 crore in FY2013-14, underscoring the rapid expansion of domestic manufacturing capabilities.

“When you build up your capability, you get funding. When you get funding, you do R&D. And when you do R&D, you break that dogma and move into many other areas, like exports and owning sovereign IP in India,” said Sameer Joshi, CEO & Director, NewSpace Research & Technologies. “For deep tech development, the grants should always be linked to a milestone-style growth, not a one-time grant. There will be genuine IP creation in India in the next 2 to 3 years under the vision of the Government of India.”

“If private sector can do a particular type of emulation, then they should be given preference. It is in the interest of the nation,” said Satyanarayan Nandlal Nuwal, Founder & Chairman, Solar Group.

At the same time, “Licensed technology is not a solution. Technology transfer is not a solution. If we have an IP, that is the only way we can get better,” said Rajendra Chodankar, Founder & Chairman, RRP Defense.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
India defence sectordefense manufacturingprivate players in defensedefense production growthrrp defense

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year