India’s defence industry is undergoing a paradigm shift. Our defence production has achieved a historic milestone in the Financial Year 2025 (FY25), reaching ₹1.46 trillion—a nearly 15 per cent increase over the previous year. Defence exports rose by 14 per cent to over ₹24,000 crore, reflecting strong global demand for Indian-origin platforms, sub-systems, and services, now exported to over 100 countries.
The transformation over the past decade is striking. From an output of ₹43,000 crore a decade ago, defence manufacturing has more than tripled, with the private sector now contributing over ₹32,000 crore, accounting for 22 per cent of total production. This growth is not only a result of favourable policies but also of the maturing industrial ecosystem that supports high-complexity systems for both domestic and global defence needs. India is not just buying less from abroad; it is building more at home—and building with intent, scale, and confidence.
At recent forums such as Aero India, Defence Exhibition (DefExpo), and the Army Design Bureau’s Innovation Seminars, senior leadership from the Armed Forces and the Government of India have consistently emphasised the need to accelerate indigenisation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has reiterated that “a strong and self-reliant India cannot be built without a robust domestic defence industry,” and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has stressed the importance of reducing critical technology dependencies, particularly in electronic warfare, secure communications, and radar systems. This shift from licensed production and platform-level procurement to the development of indigenous sub-systems and advanced electronics marks a turning point in India’s defence industrial capability.
The change is visible across the board. India has banned the import of over 500 defence items across multiple tranches. Simultaneously, the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative is nurturing start-ups, and the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) now gives preference to acquisition categories such as “Buy (Indian—Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)” and “Make (Indian),” ensuring maximum sourcing from Indian companies. The Armed Forces have also begun co-creating requirements with the private sector through detailed design documents and regular industry interactions. These are not standalone efforts; they are part of a deliberate and coordinated strategy to build sovereign capabilities that are secure, scalable, and future-ready.
Supporting this vision is the collective effort of companies that have invested in deep technology, advanced manufacturing, and domain-specific engineering. These companies are not just replacing imports; they are reimagining the very architecture of defence systems to suit Indian operational needs. Among these, Cyient DLM stands committed to contributing through indigenous innovation. From high-reliability electronics to complex Radio Frequency (RF) systems and power management solutions, we are building technologies designed in India, for India’s defence.
Cyient DLM’s core strengths span RF engineering, power electronics, digital imaging, and Internet of Things (IoT), each designed to deliver precision, durability, and long-term reliability. These capabilities are central to building high-performance systems for mission-critical applications. Our solutions are enabled through complete vertical integration, supported by rigorous functional and reliability testing, streamlined digital workflows, and a design-for-excellence approach that ensures manufacturability, traceability, and long-term performance.
Cyient DLM’s vertically integrated solutions—spanning RF engineering, power electronics, and ruggedised IoT systems—have enabled precise localisation of defence modules previously imported
Over the years, Cyient DLM has supported multiple critical defence programs that reflect the depth of our engineering and manufacturing capabilities. We have delivered mission-critical electronic modules for missile systems, enabling control and manoeuvring precision with compact actuator and servo assemblies built to military standards. In radar programs, our RF manufacturing and testing capabilities have been deployed for high-frequency signal processing, involving intricate assemblies with circulators, filters, and customised enclosures requiring mechanical and electrical integration. We have also supported the development of advanced antenna systems like Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA), contributing to their simulation, prototyping, environmental validation, and integration readiness.
Our work has extended to secure communication systems, where we have localised high-complexity modules initially built overseas, managing design changes, test protocols, and component-level qualification. These transitions are not just about cost advantages; they represent a shift in trust, where Indian companies are seen as capable of delivering defence-grade performance at scale. In all these programs, we bring a systems-thinking approach, balancing form factor constraints, signal integrity, thermal performance, and electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) to meet stringent defence specifications. It is this consistent delivery and ability to handle complexity that positions Cyient DLM as a trusted partner in India’s defence ecosystem.
The future of India’s self-reliance in defence will be defined by how efficiently the ecosystem can scale such efforts across platforms and product categories. Companies like ours are focusing on co-creation, digital traceability, and lifecycle obsolescence management to ensure long-term sustainment of systems deployed in the field. With increasing convergence between electronics, software, and mechanical systems, we are investing in cross-disciplinary capabilities to build systems that are intelligent, secure, and ready for multi-domain operations.
Looking ahead, there is significant headroom to improve the contribution of India’s private defence sector to national capability. One key challenge is the long gestation cycle of defence programs, which often leads to delayed monetisation and limits Research & Development (R&D) investments by smaller players. Addressing this will require faster procurement cycles, predictable demand planning, and structured risk-sharing between the public and private sectors. Another challenge is the limited availability of advanced infrastructure for validation and certification, especially for high-frequency electronics and ruggedised systems. Public-private partnerships (PPP) to develop shared simulation labs and EMI/EMC testing facilities can accelerate development timelines.
As the Armed Forces co-create requirements with industry, Cyient DLM’s ‘design-for-excellence’ approach bridges gaps between complex specifications and manufacturability
Additionally, India’s engineering talent pool, while large, often lacks specialised skills required for defence manufacturing. This is particularly true in domains like RF engineering, embedded systems, and mechanical integration for aerospace. Targeted skilling programs, designed in partnership with industry, can help bridge this gap and build a workforce aligned to national defence priorities. Encouragingly, the government has shown a clear intent to create a more level playing field for the private sector, with greater ease of doing business, equal treatment in procurement, and strong order pipelines. This renewed support opens up long-term opportunities for industry players who are ready to invest in capability, capacity, and co-development.
India’s emergence as a technology powerhouse is no longer a vision; it is an unfolding reality. As the country celebrates its 79th Independence Day, there is a renewed sense of purpose in building capabilities that are truly our own. With aligned intent between government and industry, and a focused push for scale and quality, India is poised to lead, not follow, in defence innovation. The journey ahead demands collective effort, strategic patience, and unwavering belief in the idea of a secure, self-reliant India. Jai Hind.
The writer is Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Cyient DLM
