India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system has reportedly drawn interest from at least 15 countries spanning from Asia to South America after its use in cross-border strikes against Pakistan enhanced the global profile of the Indian weapons industry.
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While security experts acknowledge the growing clout of the industry, they say sustaining this momentum would require broader expertise, less reliance on foreign technology and more supportive policies to realise India’s potential as a global arms supplier.
Earlier this week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the BrahMos missiles played an “outstanding” role in Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the April 22 attack near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu pilgrims. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan-linked militants while Islamabad denies any involvement.
Singh told reporters that 14 to 15 countries had since expressed interest in the supersonic cruise missile developed jointly with Russia.
Rajiv Kumar Narang, senior fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, told This Week in Asia: “[Operation Sindoor] was a real-time learning experience that gave us inputs to improve. Once the product is proven, it becomes more acceptable in the international market.”
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That credibility boost appears to be translating into potential demand. According to reports, countries showing interest in BrahMos include Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Venezuela.