India Draws New BrahMos Interest From Gulf, Latin America and Asia
New Delhi — International interest in India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is expanding, with reported inquiries from countries in the Gulf, Latin America and Asia.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Thailand, Brazil and Chile have shown interest in the missile, adding to existing demand from the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, according to reports.
India is also holding talks with the United Arab Emirates over a potential BrahMos sale. An agreement would mark the missile system’s first entry into the Gulf region.
Developed through a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, the BrahMos travels at approximately Mach 2.8 and carries a warhead weighing between 200 and 300 kilograms. The range of its most advanced variants has been extended to about 450 kilometers.
The UAE is also reportedly in preliminary discussions with India over the Akashteer air defense command-and-control system, developed by Bharat Electronics Limited in cooperation with the Indian Army.
India is building the institutional infrastructure needed to become a long-term arms supplier, including lifecycle support and end-use monitoring systems. It is also strengthening its diplomatic capabilities to manage the consequences of Indian-made weapons being used by importing countries.
Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month that India had signed a BrahMos agreement with Vietnam and that a deal with Indonesia was in its final stages.
The Defense Ministry said Indonesia had supported a proposal to establish a Joint Defense Industry Cooperation Committee covering technology transfers, joint research and development, and supply-chain integration.
Analysts have noted that several recent and prospective buyers are involved in maritime disputes with China or face other regional security concerns. However, they said India appeared to be responding to market demand rather than building a formal anti-China defense arrangement.
India’s defense exports reached a record 384.24 billion rupees in fiscal 2026, an increase of about 62 percent from the previous year, according to Defense Ministry data.
Drones are also expected to remain among the fastest-growing areas of India’s defense industry. The tactical drone procurement opportunity is projected to rise from 30 billion to 35 billion rupees during the previous procurement cycle to approximately 120 billion to 140 billion rupees.
India’s defense industry is entering a long-term growth cycle supported by domestic manufacturing, higher capital spending, rising exports and the adoption of advanced technologies, according to a recent industry report. (Source: IANS)
