Despite the hype, India remains far from making it as a defence exporter (Opinion)
India is proud of its Light Combat Aircraft. But is it modern? The programme's development commenced 40 years ago?
There are positive signs of growth in India’s defence exports, but there can be no denying that the country is punching well below its weight.
With Aero India 2023 just around the corner – an event that the Indian government only announced in late November – it is time to discuss the state of India’s defence industry, particularly its exports.
The MoD’s ‘last-minute’ Aero India declaration sums up all that is wrong with India’s defence establishment. Announcing the dates of an international air show 2.5 months before it opens is just ridiculous.
Then again, the sudden postponement of DefExpo 2022, a week before it was to open in Ghandinagar last March, was probably worse. The government claimed this was due to ‘logistics problems experienced by participants’.
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