India is currently undergoing a historic transformation in its defence sector, shifting from being one of the world’s largest military importers to an emerging global exporter of advanced systems. In the financial year 2025-26, India’s defence exports reached a record-breaking ₹38,424 crore, spanning more than 80 allied nations, with a bold target of ₹50,000 crore set for 2029. This surge is powered by the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, which seeks to position indigenous technologies like the BRAHMOS missile on the global chessboard. Within this national mission, Telangana has emerged as a cornerstone, with its aerospace exports alone surging to ₹30,742 crore in the first nine months of the 2024–25 period. The state aims to become India’s “Aero-Engine Capital” by 2030, leveraging a strategic ecosystem that already hosts over 25 major national and international companies and more than 1,500 MSMEs.
Organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Taj Deccan, Hyderabad, Telangana, the 2nd Edition of the Defence MSME Manufacturers Forum (DMMF) serves as a critical bridge at this pivotal juncture, focusing on the theme, “Make in India for the World: Empowering MSMEs for India’s Defence & Aerospace Future.” The choice of Hyderabad as the forum’s location is significant, as the city is evolving into a global defence innovation hub where the aerospace and defence sector is now a strong competitor to the pharmaceutical industry. The forum’s primary objective is to strengthen MSME participation in the defence and aerospace manufacturing ecosystem by creating opportunities for vendor development, procurement partnerships, and supply-chain integration.
The panel sessions will dive into the most pressing issues for the sector, including the rise of Hyderabad and Telangana as deep-tech manufacturing hubs and the navigation of funding, procurement policies, and government support for MSMEs. Discussions will focus on integrating smaller players and startups into broader defence supply chains. Experts will explore the vision of MSMEs as the growth engine of a self-reliant India, highlighting massive opportunities in defence electronics, drones, space technologies, and AI-driven manufacturing. Furthermore, sessions will address the roadmap for defence exports, enabling MSMEs to access global markets through collaborations to build a resilient and future-ready defence ecosystem.
The highlight of the forum is the strategic B2B and B2G meetings, providing stakeholders the opportunity to interact directly with government officials and industry stalwarts to address indigenisation requirements and problem statements. The summit is expected to bring together key figures such as Shri Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Hon’ble Minister for ITE&C and Industries, Shri Praveen PA, Director of Aerospace & Defence, and Shri Nikhil Chakravarthy J., Director of Industries, Government of Telangana. Industry leaders such as Cmde PR Hari (CMD, GRSE), Dr. S.V.S. Narayana Murty (CMD, MIDHANI), and Shri Shailesh Vagerwal (CMD, Bharat Dynamics Ltd) will join executives like Vishnu Malpani of Azad Engineering and Baddam Karunakaran Reddy of Apollo Microsystems to share insights.
Join us for this forum as we work together to drive meaningful change. For further details on this Indian Chamber of Commerce initiative, please contact Ms. Raina Guha at raina.guha@indianchamber.net.