India’s defence manufacturing growth under Atmanirbhar Bharat gains global attention as US experts highlight India’s strategic role in counterbalancing China’s industrial dominance through defence exports, technology partnerships, and expanding military innovation ecosystems.
India’s rapidly growing defence manufacturing sector has emerged as a significant strategic factor in the evolving global industrial balance, with American experts highlighting New Delhi’s expanding role in countering China’s overwhelming manufacturing strength. A recent report has pointed to India’s rising defence capabilities, increasing exports, and technological partnerships as key developments shaping future geopolitical and security equations.
Driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, India has significantly strengthened its domestic defence production ecosystem through industrial corridors, higher foreign direct investment limits, and the creation of a vibrant defence-technology startup network. The policy, aimed at boosting self-reliance in critical sectors, is now showing measurable results with Indian defence firms entering international markets and expanding export capacity.
According to the report published in The Wire China, India’s defence exports are expected to touch nearly $6 billion by 2029, marking a dramatic rise from approximately $80 million recorded nearly a decade ago. Hundreds of companies are currently involved in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, while new firms continue to emerge across aerospace, electronics, artificial intelligence, drone systems, and advanced weapon technologies.
The report was authored by Mike Kuiken and Leland Miller, who underlined the strategic importance of India in the context of China’s expanding industrial dominance.
The analysis followed a recent meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing, which reportedly highlighted Washington’s continuing concerns over industrial imbalances with China.
According to the experts, China’s manufacturing capacity now exceeds the combined industrial output of the United States, Japan, and Germany. Even the collective manufacturing strength of the US and Europe is reportedly insufficient to match China’s scale. In that context, the authors argued that India has become strategically indispensable for the West.
They described India as “the only way the maths begins to work,” stressing that this assessment reflects strategic necessity rather than diplomatic preference. The report further noted that India’s defence modernisation has increasingly been shaped by persistent military tensions and security concerns along its northern border with China.
The experts also highlighted ongoing defence cooperation between Washington and New Delhi. In October last year, both countries agreed on a roadmap covering joint research, co-development projects, supply-chain security, and innovation partnerships between American and Indian defence startups. The initiative builds on years of bipartisan engagement between the two democracies.
The report recalled remarks made by Chuck Schumer during the 2023 Munich Security Conference, where he argued that the United States and Europe could not effectively compete with China without placing India at the centre of strategic planning.
However, despite growing political alignment, the report warned that deeper technological cooperation between the US and India continues to face structural barriers. The authors argued that signing agreements alone would not be enough unless Washington reforms the outdated systems governing defence technology transfers and procurement processes.
The report acknowledged concerns frequently raised in Indian strategic circles that stronger bilateral engagement has not translated into meaningful access to critical technologies. According to the authors, these concerns are justified and reflect broader institutional bottlenecks within the American system.
They stated that the strategic rationale for a stronger US-India partnership has already been accepted in Washington over the past several years, but practical implementation remains slow. The report noted that the key obstacles now lie within American export-control systems, complex procurement rules, financing mechanisms, and technology-sharing frameworks that were designed for an earlier geopolitical era.
The authors cautioned that unless these structural issues are addressed, the full potential of the US-India defence partnership may remain unrealised. They further warned that every delay in reforming the existing framework gives Beijing additional time to consolidate its industrial and technological advantages on the global stage.
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India’s expanding defence sector, combined with its growing geopolitical significance, is increasingly positioning the country as a crucial player in the global strategic landscape. As international competition intensifies over technology, manufacturing, and security alliances, India’s role is expected to become even more central in shaping future defence and economic partnerships.
