Special Report: BAE Systems expands industrial footprint in India

Indian Air Force Hawk 132 advanced jet trainer. (BAE Systems)

BAE Systems India aims to position itself as a key industrial partner supporting New Delhi's drive for defence modernisation and self-reliance.

Tony Walton, managing director of BAE Systems India, described the company's approach as a long-term industrial partnership focused on local manufacturing, technology collaboration, and supplier development.

“BAE Systems is proud of its longstanding association with India, which spans over seven decades,” Walton told Janes on 21 July. He said the company's India strategy is based on co-creation with local industry and aimed at supporting the country's armed forces through development and manufacture of “complex defence capabilities”.

Walton, who took over the role in June, said India is a key market for BAE Systems and that the company is expanding its footprint across air, land, sea, space, cyber, and advanced electronics domains. He added that the company is seeking to deepen partnerships with major Indian firms and a growing network of smaller suppliers.

Walton added that BAE Systems' partnership with India has evolved significantly over the past decade, with the company working with several Indian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to help integrate them into its global supply chain.

BAE Systems has qualified 80 suppliers in India, about 50 of them MSMEs, Walton said. He described supplier development as central to strengthening India's industrial ecosystem and enabling Indian firms to participate in global programmes.

Programmes, platforms

BAE Systems' current and prospective programmes in India span multiple domains and include licensed manufacture, local assembly and sustainment, and technology collaboration. The approach aligns with India's broader efforts to leverage defence procurement and offset policies to strengthen indigenous industrial capabilities.