India is among the top three spenders on defense and security, which is not surprising since it has long northern borders with two hostile neighbors. The Ministry of Defense employs 1.4 million Indians today.
In 2023, India increased its federal defense budget by 13 percent, not counting federal expenditures on homeland security (which falls under the Home Ministry in India). Its 28 states also spend on weapons and equipment for police and coastal protection.
The current federal defense budget is $76 billion annually. The Home Ministry spends another $20 billion on agencies such as the Central Reserve Police Force, the Border Roads Organization, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force and the Intelligence Bureau.
While the government is focused on growing domestic production and licensed Indian manufacturing of global materiel, the country remains one of the top importers of weapons and equipment originating from the United States, France, Israel, Russia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
Many opportunities exist for American companies to offer technologies and equipment to India.
Boeing is the most successful foreign military supplier to India. American companies such Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, General Electric, General Atomics and others have also had success.
India’s needs span its Air Force, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard. Also, the paramilitary forces have their own needs.
In 2023, General Atomics won a $3 billon order to supply 31 of its MD-9B Sea Guardian armed drones, some of which will be assembled in India. General Electric is the supplier of engines for India’s single engine Light Combat Aircraft, the Tejas. In 2023 the U.S. government approved a contract by GE to let India’s state-owned defense company, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL). Eighty percent of the value of the GE F414 INS6 engine will be added in India, according to initial reports. India’s newest $2.5 billon Aircraft Carrier, the second Vikrant is run my four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines that were assembled in India.
While India is not a treaty ally to the United States, collaboration between the two countries has expanded to the point where American naval ships will be repaired and maintained on India under a Master Ship Repair Agreement with state-owned Mazagon Docks and India’s largest publicly owned defense supplier, Larsen & Toubro Ltd. Boeing produces fuselages, secondary structures and vertical spar boxes for global customers of the Apache AH-64 choppers in Hyderabad.
Amritt’s India experts can advise and train American executives on the best approaches to capture business in India. We have a 15-year record in most aspects of defense procurement. Amritt has contacts with most of India’s domestic defense suppliers. Note that Amritt does not accept any contingency payments, success fees or sales commissions in this sector. We are not agents and we do not take title to goods.
Amritt utilizes our experience and experts to work with you on the following core categories in our defense sales practice.
* Executive Training and Guidance
* Analysis of the Indian Procurement Process
* Defense Opportunity Identification, Development and Capture
* Offsets in India
* Supply Chain Engagements
* In-Country Staffing
* Amritt Aerospace & Defense Team
