Pradeep Banerjee

Akash Goes Global: Why India’s Air Defence System Matters Beyond Central Asia India’s Akash air-defence system has moved from an indigenous military programme to an export product with customers across the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The significance is bigger than another missile sale: it shows India beginning to compete for influence in a defence market historically shaped by Russia and increasingly contested by China, Turkey and other suppliers. For decades, the map of India’s defence relationships was relatively easy to read. Russia was central to India’s military hardware ecosystem. Western suppliers occupied important niches. Israel became a significant technology partner. And China was largely viewed as the strategic competitor rather than a market opportunity. That map is changing. India’s indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile system has now been exported to Armenia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, according to Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. Armenia was the first foreign customer and acquired multiple batteries; Singh subsequently confirmed exports to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. He described Akash as one of India’s defence-sector success stories and said its production had stabilised. The geography is important. Armenia is in the South Caucasus. Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are in Central Asia. That distinction matters because the development is not

India’s Naval Defence Push Heads to Paris: Why Euronaval 2026 Matters for India’s Global Ambitions Standfirst: As Indian defence exports reach a record ₹38,424 crore, Euronaval 2026 offers a useful test of whether India can move beyond selling individual systems and build lasting industrial relationships in Europe and other maritime markets. India’s defence industry is entering an important new phase: from seeking foreign technology and equipment to competing for international customers, industrial partnerships and technology relationships of its own. That shift will receive a high-profile international test in Paris from 3–6 November 2026, when Euronaval, one of the world’s major naval defence exhibitions, brings together governments, naval forces, procurement agencies, defence companies and technology firms at Paris Nord Villepinte. The organisers describe the event as a meeting point for the global naval ecosystem and say it will bring together defence ministers, ambassadors, naval chiefs, procurement authorities, coastguard officials and defence-industry representatives. For India, however, the significance is larger than an exhibition. It comes at a time when the country’s defence exports have reached an unprecedented level and when India and the European Union have formally expanded their security and defence relationship. From defence buyer to defence partner India’s transformation is