defencecapital

[defencecapital]

Solar Industries Bags ₹158 Crore Defence Order for Loitering Munition as Market Cap Hits ₹1.5 Lakh Crore

By A Correspondent Nagpur (Maharashtra): Nagpur-based Solar Industries India Limited has secured a fresh ₹158 crore order from the Ministry of Defence, further cementing its growing presence in India’s defence manufacturing sector. Announced on June 23 through a regulatory filing with stock exchanges, the order for the advanced version of the system, Nagastra-1R, a loitering munition capable of…

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Indian Army Orders ₹137 Crore ideaForge Drones After Operation Sindoor Success

By A Correspondent Mumbai: In a major boost to domestic defence manufacturing, Mumbai-based drone maker ideaForge Technology has secured a ₹137 crore emergency order from the Indian Army for its hybrid mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The company confirmed the army procurement on June 23, 2025. The fast-track deal, aimed at meeting urgent operational requirements, follows the successful…

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Lions, Shadows, and Silk Roads: How the Israel-Iran Clash Reshaped West Asia's Strategic Chessboard

By N. C. Bipindra for CIHS The Middle East was thrust into a dramatic escalation of hostilities as Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion,” a comprehensive preemptive military campaign against Iranian targets, taking out military and nuclear facilities, on June 13, 2025. The operation, which included airstrikes, cyberattacks, and targeted assassinations, was Israel’s most extensive cross-border…

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HAL Rockets Into Space, to Launch Small Satellites in New Spaceflight Era

By N. C. Bipindra New Delhi: India has taken a major step in opening up its space sector to private participation with a twist. State-run aviation giant Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), best known for making aircraft and helicopters, will now own and operate rockets too. In a landmark move, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), a space sector regulator,…

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After Operation Sindoor, India Weapons Trump China Defence Systems in Israel-Iran War

By N. C. Bipindra Tel Aviv/Tehran/New Delhi: A striking contrast has emerged in the Middle East conflict as weapons from India and China played crucial roles on opposing sides of the Israel–Iran military showdown, with the battlefield offering a revealing glimpse into their effectiveness, limitations, and geopolitical implications. The Israel-Iran conflict is the second such instance, all…

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India, Pakistan, China Escalate Nuclear Build-up Amid Global Arms Control Collapse: SIPRI

By N. C. Bipindra Stockholm/New Delhi: A new nuclear arms race is accelerating across the globe, with South Asia and East Asia emerging as major flashpoints, according to the SIPRI Yearbook 2025, released June 16, 2025, by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The report warns of rising nuclear risks driven by the expansion and modernisation of arsenals in India, Pakistan, and…

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IMF Loan, Pakistan Army Gain: Soaring Defence Budget Hits Public Hard

By A Correspondent: Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan‘s 2025 budget, long delayed, has finally dropped, with a stark irony at its core. While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) preaches fiscal discipline as a condition of its latest US$3 billion bailout, Pakistan has gone ahead and approved its biggest defence budget hike in a decade. The Pakistan military’s allocation stands at PKR 2.55…

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Max Aerospace to Build INR 8,000 Crore Helicopter Hub in Nagpur, Create 2,000 Job

By A Correspondent Mumbai: Indian aerospace firm Max Aerospace & Aviation Limited is setting up an INR. 8,000 crore (~US$930 million) helicopter manufacturing facility in Nagpur, aiming to serve both the military and civilian sectors. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government in Mumbai in the presence of the state’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis…

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India to Launch Satellite Network to Expose Foreign Surveillance, Led by Private Firm

By A Correspondent New Delhi: India is ramping up its space defence play with a new satellite surveillance programme to detect and counter foreign snooping efforts. According to Indian media reports, the Ministry of Defence is finalising plans to deploy a dedicated constellation of satellites by 2026 — a move that marks one of the largest collaborations between the Indian government and a…

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Dassault CEO Shuts Down Pakistan's Rafale Claims: "Three Shot Down? Not True"

By A Correspondent New Delhi/Paris: French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation‘s chief executive officer Éric Trappier has firmly dismissed Pakistan‘s claim that it downed three Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale combat jets during the May 2025 Operation Sindoor, calling the assertion “inaccurate” and unsupported by facts. Speaking to a French magazine ahead of the Paris Airshow, Trappier addressed the…

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Interview: This is how Lohia Aerospace Systems plugs the composites gap in the Indian defence industry

By N. C. Bipindra In the wake of India’s Operation Sindoor against terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in May 2025, what stood out was the indigenous military systems that defended civilians and military infrastructures against Pakistani missiles, drones, and artillery fire. The effectiveness of Indian military equipment mainly depends on the key input of raw materials…

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American Military Analyst on Operation Sindoor: Victory for India, Defeat for Pakistan, Loss for China Arms Industry

By John Spencer India’s transformation into a modern defence power began in 2014, when Prime Minister Modi launched the “Make in India” initiative. The goal was clear: reduce dependence on foreign arms imports and build a world-class domestic defence industry. The policy incentivised joint ventures, opened the defence to Foreign Direct Investment up to 74 percent, and encouraged public and…

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India DRDO opens centre for Quantum Technology to boost strategic applications capabilities

By A Correspondent New Delhi: India’s military technology agency, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), opened a Quantum Technology Research Centre (QTRC) on May 27, 2025, to boost the nation’s capabilities in strategic and defence applications of the emerging technology. DRDO Chairman and Department of Defence R&D Secretary Dr Samir V. Kamat inaugurated the facility at Metcalfe…

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India approves Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft project with private participation

By N. C. Bipindra In a significant push to enhance indigenous defence capabilities and foster a robust domestic aerospace industrial ecosystem, India approved the execution model for its ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme on May 27, 2025. The decision comes just days after India’s indigenous military systems effectively defended the nation against nuclear-armed…

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Interview: Quest Global unique business model enables customer retention for the long run

Quest Global‘s Venkata Sai Kolisetti talks to Defence Capital editor N. C. Bipindra about his company’s unique selling proposition, its strategy, and how it retains aerospace and defence customers for the long run. New Delhi/Hyderabad: Quest Global, started in 1997 by its chief executive officer Ajit Prabhu, began its operations by solving customers’ problems, and that value is still intact, the…

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Operation Sindoor: India PM Modi refers to Buddha and Shakti (Power) to warn Pakistan on terror

By A Correspondent New Delhi: India‘s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12, 2025, warned Pakistan of a nuclear catastrophe, referencing the 1974 and 1998 Indian nuclear weapons tests, albeit in a veiled threat, by talking of Gautama Buddha‘s birth anniversary today and Shakti (Power) in the same breath. India’s first-ever “peaceful” nuclear explosions by India were codenamed ‘Smiling Buddha‘…

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Operation Sindoor: India accepts Pakistan request for ceasefire, with American push

By N. C. Bipindra New Delhi: India, on May 10, 2025, accepted Pakistan‘s request for a ceasefire under Operation Sindoor following a United States backchannel diplomacy to stop military operations of the last four days. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in a statement, said the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan called the DGMO of India at 3:35 p.m. India…