India, May 30 -- The recent military entanglement between India and Pakistan, apart from showing India's defence sector as the new fulcrum of sovereign assertiveness, also reflects a tectonic reorientation in the strategic doctrine and economic philosophy of a new, Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat.

India's defence exports have risen 33 times in the past 10 years, from $113 million in FY16 to $2.8 billion in FY25, positioning India as an important player in the international defence supply chain and as a credible contender for a place in the stratified hierarchy of global arms export. India's share in global defence exports, as per the World Bank's SIPRI trend indicator, has risen from 4% in FY14 to 10% by 2023.

This quantum leap revea...