By Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India has set the goal of increasing military exports from the current $1.5 billion to $5 billion in fiscal year 2024/25. Modi’s comments come as Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said his country offers enhanced defence partnership to friendly countries, accommodative of national priorities and capacities – effectively a restructuring of India’s weapon accruements.
“India has rejuvenated its defence sector in the last 8-9 years. We consider this to be just the beginning. We aim to take defence exports to $5 billion by 2024-25,” Modi said after opening the Aero India 2023 exhibition, which is being held (from February 13 to 17) in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.
In his inaugural speech, Modi assured that India will move fast to become one of the world’s largest manufacturers of defence systems and called on the private sector to make investments.
“Our technology is cost-effective as well as credible, coupled with honest intent,” he said. “India of the 21st century will neither lose out on any opportunity nor will shy away from working hard to achieve its dreams.”
The expo is being attended by more than 800 companies from 98 nations. There are also high-ranking guests including defence ministers from 32 countries, air force commanders from 29 countries and 73 executives from Indian and foreign companies.
According to forecasts, a record $9.1 billion of contracts will be signed under Aero India 2023.
At the same time, Singh told a meeting of defence ministers on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 that New Delhi wants comprehensive defence cooperation with friendly foreign countries.
“India offers enhanced defence partnership to friendly countries, accommodative of national priorities and capacities,” Singh was quoted as saying by the Indian Defence Ministry. The ministry also proposed cooperation that takes into consideration national priorities and possibilities.
New Delhi seeks to “endeavour to transcend hierarchical relationship of buyer and seller to a codevelopment and co-production model.”
Singh stressed that “India does not believe in dealing with such security issues in the old paternalistic or the neo-colonial paradigms. We consider all nations as equal partners. […] We support the capacity building of our partner countries, so that they may chart out their own destiny, in accordance with their own genius.”
Russia actively participates in the Aero India exhibition as it is the biggest supplier of military hardware to India. Russia is expected to sell more than 200 military products at the exhibition, including its Su-57 and Su-75 fighter jets. In addition, the Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Vladimir Drozhzhov, said that Russia expects to sign a contract on the supply and licensed production of Igla-S man-portable air defence.
According to Eurasian Times, “in head-on and tail-chase confrontations against a background of clutter and countermeasure situations, [Igla-S] can neutralize combat helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). With threats posed by Pakistan and China on its continental borders, the Igla-S could significantly bolster India’s air defence capability.”
The Anglo Alliance also have a deep interest in the Aero India 2023 trade show. For their part, the US State Department said in an announcement that they are “honoured” to participate in this year’s exhibition and is “committed to strengthening its partnership with India while furthering military-to-military relationships and cooperation.”
Meanwhile, the UK team included Minister for Defence Procurement Alex Chalk, Air Vice-Marshal Richard Maddison of the Royal Air Force and representatives of British manufacturing giants, such as Rolls Royce, MBDA UK, Thales UK, BAE Systems, Collins Aerospace and Leonardo. British High Commissioner Alex Ellis said that the UK is looking to deepen its relationship with India and support “Make in India” and “Create in India” initiatives.
Effectively, Aero India 2023 is another demonstration of New Delhi balancing its relationship between its traditional partners like Russia and new strategic partners like the US and UK. Moscow has always maintained an attitude that bilateral relations will not be affected by third parties, whilst the Anglosphere has begrudgingly accepted that India will not sever its tried and tested partnership with Russia for the sake of Ukraine.
According to Indian media, such as Jagran TV, “Aero India 2023 will startle Pakistan and China with India’s strength.” As India is engaged in a decades-long dispute with Pakistan and China over Jammu and Kashmir and other border regions, decisionmakers in New Delhi believe that balancing between Russia and the West best serves its interests, and the Aero India 2023 exhibition is another demonstration of this.