By A Correspondent
New Delhi: Adani Defence & Aerospace has won the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) Champion Award 2026 for Export Performance in Defence and Aerospace at the organisation’s eighth annual session in New Delhi on Friday (October 9, 2026). The company manufactures small-calibre ammunition for defence and law enforcement customers in international markets.
Its manufacturing complex in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has an annual production capacity of 300 million rounds and produces North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-standard ammunition, supporting the Government of India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented the award in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General (Acquisition) A. Anbarasu. Fifteen awards recognised achievements in technology development, product innovation, design, import substitution, manufacturing excellence, and exports.
Addressing the session, Singh called for greater private sector participation in defence production, increased investment in research and development, and expanded manufacturing capacity to meet the country’s defence requirements.
“We are proud to see our efforts in building India’s defence manufacturing capabilities recognised. Our focus is on making high-quality products in India and taking them to customers across global markets. We will continue to invest in technology and indigenous manufacturing to meet the evolving needs of defence and security customers,” Adani Defence & Aerospace chief executive officer Ashish Rajvanshi said on the occasion.
The latest recognition follows a separate SIDM Champion Award presented to Adani Defence & Aerospace’s Kanpur Ammunition Complex in 2025 for design, manufacturing, and testing excellence. The Kanpur facility uses automated manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled quality inspection, real-time data analytics and digital monitoring across the production process.
Its digital shop floor eliminates manual handling of hazardous materials. The unit also has 100% digital traceability across the manufacturing value chain, supported by digital security systems. The complex houses a ballistics testing range equipped with an Electronic Pressure, Velocity and Action Time (EPVAT) system. The range is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), India’s apex accreditation body for testing and calibration laboratories.
Data shows that India’s defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in the financial year 2025-26, registering growth of 62.66% over the previous financial year. The government has set a target of ₹50,000 crore in annual defence exports by 2029.
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