India’s defence exports increased tenfold in the last six years from Rs 1,521 crores in the financial year 2016-2017 to Rs 15,921 crores in 2022-2023. Even in dollars—both at the 2016-17 and current prevailing rate—the growth from $ 0.22 billion to $ 1.94 billion is very impressive. The Narendra Modi government’s path-breaking reform of Aatmanirbharta in defence and its liberal arms export policy is responsible for this success story. Two years ago, on 5 February 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set an ambitious target for defence exports. “In the next five years, our target is to increase exports to $5…