The BrahMos Aerospace has also started identifying regions which can be useful for it in selling its world class supersonic cruise missiles

After PM Modi asked the defence companies to achieve the target of USD 5 billion in exports, Indian entities, including both private and public firms, are taking steps to enhance their foreign sales.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the defence companies to achieve the target of USD 5 billion in exports, Indian entities, including both private and public firms, are taking steps to enhance their foreign sales. In this regard, the biggest public sector unit, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has tasked its officers to do export promotion.

“HAL has a set of senior officers who look after export-related issues of the company. The countries and regions of the world are assigned and divided among these officers to explore the export opportunities,” a senior official from HAL told India Today.

“The group, though not named as an export promotion council or something similar, functions under HAL Corporate Marketing. It is tasked to work towards export promotion activities,” he said.

Meanwhile, the BrahMos Aerospace has also started finding new markets and started identifying regions which can be useful for it in selling its world-class supersonic cruise missile. “The corporate marketing division has a number of officers under it who are specially looking after export promotion as per directives of the PM,” BrahMos officials said.

BrahMos Aerospace chief, Atul Rane, recently told India Today that while the prime minister had set a target of USD 5 billion for the whole country, BrahMos alone would be working towards achieving that target. “Brahmos missile export target is set at USD 5 billion by 2025. BrahMos made the first export deal with the Philippines at USD 375 million,” he stated.

Another successful private firm, Solar Industries, which won a deal in Armenia to export its multi-barrel rocket launcher system, stated that it has started focusing on export markets along with the Indian market. “We realise that if we are able to provide solutions which the friendly countries are looking for, there would certainly be a market for Indian weapon systems as we have lot of advantages over others,” a senior defence ministry official dealing with export promotion told India Today.

India had achieved exports of defence items and technology worth a record Rs 13,000 crore in 2021-22, which is likely to rise to Rs 17,000 crore in 2022-23," the Defence Secretary had recently stated.

Defence exports grew by 334 per cent in the last five years and India is now exporting to over 75 countries due to collaborative efforts, the government has recently stated while upping the targets for further growth in the sector.