India saw record defence production of around $18.6 billion, with defence exports jumping by 63% to $4.6 billion in fiscal year 2025-26. Exports grew as India shifted from basic protective gear and ammunition to high-tech systems like BrahMos and Akash missiles, aero-structures, radars, and naval platforms. Agile private companies and start-ups contributed nearly half ofContinue reading “India’s defense export story is becoming harder to ignore”
Category Archives: Geopolitics
Right Force Mix – IAF Combat Aircraft Fleets and Atmanirbhatra
Lessons from Ukraine and West Asia indicate that future wars would be multi-domain and could be long. These would be technology-intensive, would need huge industrial backing, would require self-reliance (Atmanirbharta), and would be won more by defence factories than armies. It will be a whole-of-nation approach, with private industry gradually sitting in the driver’s seat.Continue reading “Right Force Mix – IAF Combat Aircraft Fleets and Atmanirbhatra”
What a US-China thaw could cost India
When the leaders of the world’s two largest economies meet, the whole world watches the theatrics, the body language, and the substance. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the US and summit with President Donald Trump took place against the backdrop of a surge in China’s global trade, while Trump has been struggling withContinue reading “What a US-China thaw could cost India”
Can India and Pakistan Be Friends? The Strategic Blueprint for a New India-Pakistan Paradigm
The relationship between India and Pakistan presents one of the most stubborn paradoxes in modern geopolitics. We are looking at a scenario where the underlying societies share deep historical roots, yet the states remain locked in a seemingly permanent cycle of hostility. The contradiction is hard to ignore. Two nations that emerged from the identicalContinue reading “Can India and Pakistan Be Friends? The Strategic Blueprint for a New India-Pakistan Paradigm”
First LCA Tejas Mk1A Squadron By March 2027 — Engines Trickle As India Solves Integration Issues
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received seven GE F404-IN20 engines for India’s LCA Tejas Mk1A programme. GE Aerospace has reportedly assured HAL that it will dispatch an additional 20 to 22 units before 31 December 2026. With this input, HAL is confident that a major bottleneck will be cleared and that it will be ableContinue reading “First LCA Tejas Mk1A Squadron By March 2027 — Engines Trickle As India Solves Integration Issues”
India Trains To Counter J-20 Stealth Fighters as China’s J-16 Holds Rare Drills Against Egyptian Rafales
As China’s J-16 “Hidden Dragon” fighter jets drill against Egypt‘s Rafales, the Indian Air Force (IAF) continues to sharpen its teeth through multinational exercises and train against cutting-edge jets like the “stealth” F-35. The Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) is keen to decode Western fighter jets like the Rafale, Eurofighter, and Gripen, while the Indian AirContinue reading “India Trains To Counter J-20 Stealth Fighters as China’s J-16 Holds Rare Drills Against Egyptian Rafales”
Air War in Kargil – A Revisit
The Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan in the high mountains in the Kargil District of Jammu and Kashmir, and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC) between 3 May and 26 July 1999. Code-named ‘Operation Vijay’, it ended with a decisive victory for Indian forces, and India regained possession of territory occupiedContinue reading “Air War in Kargil – A Revisit”
Indian Missiles Pushing Ahead With Precision and Reach
On May 8, 2026, India successfully flight-tested an advanced Agni-5 missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. This test (a Mission Divyastra sequel) enables a single missile to deliver multiple nuclear warheads to different targets, significantly enhancing India’s strategic deterrence. India’s Defence Research and DevelopmentContinue reading “Indian Missiles Pushing Ahead With Precision and Reach”
F-35 Restrictions Pushed Tokyo Toward 6th-Gen Fighter Jet as GCAP Offered Unlimited Access: Japanese Source
China is actively flight-testing advanced sixth-generation air-dominance prototypes: the Chengdu J-36 (an ultra-long-range, heavy triple-engine design) and the Shenyang J-50 (a smaller, twin-engine tailless design). The US is set to fly its sixth-generation aircraft, but full-scale prototype testing is slated to begin in 2028. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) was a major trilateral EuropeanContinue reading “F-35 Restrictions Pushed Tokyo Toward 6th-Gen Fighter Jet as GCAP Offered Unlimited Access: Japanese Source”
The Indo-US Defence Industrial Cooperation – The Gap between Ambition and Execution
US defence sales to India have surged past $22 billion since the initial deal for six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft was signed in early 2008. Since then, the US has become one of India’s key arms suppliers. However, despite the growth in military sales and bold initiatives such as the 10-Year Framework forContinue reading “The Indo-US Defence Industrial Cooperation – The Gap between Ambition and Execution”