What happened:
On November 18, 2025, India convened a key industry roundtable on defence technology and manufacturing at the Dubai Airshow 2025, with about 50 companies from India, the UAE, the US, the UK, Australia, Brazil and Italy. The meeting was chaired by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and attended by Ambassador Deepak Mittal and Joint Secretary Amit Satija. Discussions focused on expanding joint defence production, boosting technology partnerships and encouraging global firms to explore manufacturing opportunities in India. The session complemented India’s larger presence at the airshow, including the Indian pavilion, startup exhibits and aerial displays by LCA Tejas and the Suryakiran team.
Why it matters to India:
The roundtable highlighted India’s rapidly growing defence industrial base—expanding from a handful of public sector units to nearly 200 manufacturers and over 1,600 startups. Officials underscored progress under the iDEX programme, whose prototypes have secured orders worth ₹3,200 crore. By inviting companies to flag policy and procedural concerns, India emphasised its intent to accelerate co-development, co-production and deeper supply-chain partnerships. The engagement strengthens India’s push to emerge as a major defence manufacturing and innovation hub.