India defence exports surged 62% to $4.1 billion in fiscal year to March

April 3 (Reuters) - India's defence exports for the fiscal year to March reached 384.24 billion rupees ($4.11 billion), ​a jump of more than 62% from the ‌previous period, the government said in a statement on Thursday.

India exported 236.22 billion rupees ($2.52 billion) worth of defence ​exports from April 2024 to March 2025, ​the statement said, adding that defence exports ⁠for the 2025-2026 fiscal year rose by ​148.02 billion rupees.

The sharp rise signals increasing global acceptance ​of Indian-made defence products and the sector’s growing integration into international supply chains, the statement said.

"India, which once upon ​a time used to depend on other ​countries for weapons or was known for imports, is moving ‌fast ⁠in exports as well," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a speech on Thursday.

India currently exports defence equipment to more than 80 countries, the ​government said.

In recent ​years, India ⁠has pushed to manufacture everything from guns and drones to fighter jets ​and submarines at home, either on ​its ⁠own or in collaboration with foreign partners.

India is the world’s fifth-largest military spender and the second-largest arms ⁠importer ​after Ukraine, according to the ​latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.