Who is buying BrahMos from India and why? Defense Minister Says Exports Will Exceed $600 Million | Today’s news

Defense Minister Rajesh Kumar Singh hailed the BrahMos as a benchmark for India’s emerging export story, with exports expected to cross $600 million. Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Singh said the system was battle-proven during Operation Sindoor missile and also has an air-launched version.

“The system has proven itself in battle during Operation Sindoor…This missile also has an air-launched version that exists and is very successful at Sukhoi,” said Rajesh Kumar Singh.

Read also | Thailand eyes Brahmos: Who bought or wants India’s rocket?

He said this is one of the top strategic systems we have been able to export. “This particular system has huge potential and I hope it will continue to be one of the anchors of our export dynamics…,” he added.

Which countries buy Indian BrahMos?

Rajesh Kumar Singh said there are contracts or agreements to sell the high-end strategic system to three Southeast Asian countries – the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

“We have contracts or agreements to sell to three Southeast Asian countries, starting with the Philippines and now also Indonesia and Vietnam,” he told ANI.

The BrahMos missile system worth about $330 million was delivered to the Philippines. The defense minister said exports should be about $100 million for Vietnam to begin with and about $200 million for Indonesia.

The Philippines became the first to buy BrahMos from India in 2022, followed by a deal with Vietnam in May this year. Later, in July, a Reuters report, citing sources, said India would supply its BrahMos and Astra missiles to Indonesia, the country’s third such deal in the Indo-Pacific.

According to Reuters, more than half a dozen other countries have expressed interest in India, including the United Arab Emirates.

Why is there growing interest in BrahMos?

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile with anti-ship capability. It is jointly developed by India and Russia and manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. It is among the fastest cruise missiles in the world and can be launched from land, sea and air platforms.

The agreements with the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam come amid growing concerns about China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

The BrahMos has attracted a lot of interest from buyers in the Indo-Pacific region as these countries with limited naval forces need to defend disputed territories in the South China Sea, experts told CNBC in July this year.

“BrahMos and air-to-air missiles are areas that are new in our cooperation (with Indonesia),” CNBC quoted an Indian foreign ministry spokesperson as saying earlier this year.

While Indonesia does not see China as a primary security threat, it has differences with Beijing over “the Natuna North Sea claim,” Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, told CNBC.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that interest in the ‌BrahMos​​ missile has increased since India’s four-day standoff with Pakistan in May 2025, when Delhi used the weapon system in combat for the first time.

“BrahMos, the most famous export products”

Speaking to ANI at the 13th Annual PAFI Forum 2026 panel discussion on Building India’s Competitive Advantage, Singh highlighted BrahMos as one of the most prominent export products.

“The best-known product is the BrahMos, which is quite in demand and which we have sold or are in the process of selling to several countries in Southeast Asia. There are also increasing (exports) in areas such as artillery and gun mount systems,” he said.

Read also | Prime Minister Modi conferred the highest honor on Indonesia as the two countries signed the agreements

“We have private sector products based on DRDO technology that have been exported to certain countries and the demand for them is going up. Maybe also the Akash surface-to-air missiles, which is of great interest,” Singh said when asked by ANI.

Meanwhile, Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher in the arms transfer program at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told CNBC that the BrahMos is “one of the largest and fastest available on the market right now.”

The only other missile similar to the BrahMos is China’s YJ-12, Douglas Barrie, senior fellow for military aerospace at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told CNBC in an email.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier described the BrahMos not just as a missile but as a symbol of the nation’s growing indigenous capabilities.

Featuring a traditional warhead and an advanced guidance system, the missile has the ability to hit long distances at supersonic speeds. This combination of speed, accuracy and power makes BrahMos one of the best systems in the world.

Defense Exports of India

Indian defense equipment now reaches more than 80 countries. Defense exports reached an all-time high ₹38,424 crore in the Financial Year (FY) 2025-26, a massive increase ₹14,802 trillion (62.66%) over the previous fiscal year ₹23,622 crore, according to ANI.

Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) contributed 54.84 percent and the private sector contributed 45.16 percent.

DPSU exports grew by 151 percent compared to the previous year, with private firms showing their strong presence by registering a 14 percent increase, ANI reported.

In terms of contribution value, the private sector was involved ₹17,353 crore worth of defense exports while DPSUs contributed ₹21,071 crores. Their respective values ​​in the previous financial year amounted to ₹15,233 million and ₹8,389 million crowns.

This surge highlights the growing global acceptance of Indian defense products and the growing integration of the sector into international supply chains.