Ukraine War Opens Up Global Market For Indian Defence Industry: Baba Kalyani

Russia's war in Ukraine is opening up global markets for Indian defence industry as it has spurred frantic buying of arms, according to Baba Kalyani, chairman of Kalyani Group.

The conflict has created a sense of urgency among smaller countries that want to equip themselves with arms, Kalyani told BQ Prime in an interview on the sidelines of Defence Expo 2022.

Nobody thought of a land war in 2022, he said. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to the destruction of land-based weapons and the developed majors are running out of capacity to supply to Ukraine, Kalyani said.

Smaller countries are now looking at other manufacturers, he said. "We are planning to have the capacity to build 300 guns a year, compared to 15-20 for developed players."

The group is ahead of its target to become the largest land systems manufacturer globally. Conflicts have led to the opening up of the global markets for India, he said.

The Kalyani Group's Bharat Forge Ltd. recently supplied the Kalyani M4, a mine-protected, high-mobility armoured personnel carrier, to the Indian army during the Galwan clashes under emergency supplies.

Watch the full conversation here: