India’s Defence Industry Entering Golden Era Of R&D, Eyes Global Markets, Says Paras Defence's Amit Mahajan
This production shift has led to higher visibility and confidence among private players, enabling them to bid for large-scale programmes and contribute meaningfully across the defence value chain.
India’s defence industry is undergoing a paradigm shift from an inward-looking, development-centric model to an outward-facing, production-ready powerhouse that is ready to export high-tech defence technology at a cost-efficient pricing, according to Amit Mahajan, director of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Ltd.
This transformation is being fuelled by a surge in private sector-led research and development and growing production capabilities, he added.
“This is definitely the golden era for R&D,” Mahajan told NDTV Profit, noting that Indian private companies are now well-positioned not just to meet domestic requirements but to compete globally.
With policy support from initiatives like 'Make in India', private players such as IdeaForge Ltd. and Paras Defence have matured their in-house R&D capabilities. These firms developed advanced technologies well before they had any commercial visibility—and are now reaping the benefits, he pointed out.
“We were initially just dependent on government agencies to do the R&D, and we used to do our own small bit, but today we have the opportunity to do a larger value add in the R&D and the technology development,” he said. This transition has allowed Indian firms to scale up production of high-technology systems, enhance quality, and become export-ready.
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The result? Defence products that are not only world-class in terms of performance but also cost-effective. “When a development-centric operation gets converted into production-centric operations, your quality of product always goes up, and it becomes export-ready,” Mahajan added.
This production shift has led to higher visibility and confidence among private players, enabling them to bid for large-scale programmes and contribute meaningfully across the defence value chain.
India’s edge now lies in its ability to deliver complex, high-tech solutions at competitive prices as "we are cost-effective when it comes to high-technology products".
With growing demand, rising quality benchmarks, and the maturity of private sector innovation, India is no longer just making for itself—but is ready to supply the world.
