Defence exports reach a record ₹38,424 crore as Rajnath Singh presents the SIDM Champion Awards

9 October 2026

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented the SIDM Champion Awards 2026 at the 8th Annual Session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers in New Delhi on 9 October 2026. Fifteen awards were given to organisations for indigenous technology development, product innovation, design, import substitution, manufacturing excellence and exports. Defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in 2025-26, more than 60 per cent above the previous financial year. The target is ₹50,000 crore of defence exports by 2029. He recalled his call to raise the private sector's share of total defence production from about 24 per cent to 50 per cent. The theme of the session was 'Sovereign Capabilities, Contested Frontiers: Accelerating India's Strategic Autonomy in an Era of Disruption'. SIDM was founded in 2017. Of the 2025-26 exports, defence public sector undertakings accounted for 54.84 per cent and the private sector for 45.16 per cent.