Comparative Assessment of Defence Industrial Capabilities of Pakistan and India: Indigenous Production, Technological Innovation, and Strategic Autonomy in South Asia
Indo Pak Mil Hardware
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71350/a5journal.2Keywords:
India, Pakistan, China, USA, Russia, South AsiaAbstract
This paper plays a comparative analysis of the defense industrial capabilities of Pakistan and India, in terms of how each country seeks to go in the direction of indigenous production, technological advancement and strategic independence in the changing security environment in the South Asian region. The study examines the evolution of the military spheres and history of the two nations, the institutional nature of the development, and the political and economic factors impacting decision-making. Through the analysis of the most prominent sectors- aerospace, armored systems, naval platforms and emerging technologies the study notes disparities in industrial maturity, culture of research and state industry co-operation. It also evaluates the contribution of global alliances, transfer of technology, and export aspirations to the long-term strategic objectives of individual countries. In the end, this comparative evaluation will help to better understand what the strong and weak aspects of the development of Pakistan and India toward increased self-reliance in the creation of military forces are, as well as what the future directions of this process is, and how these decisions impact on the stability and power balance in South Asia.
References
Banerjee, D. (2014). India–Pakistan strategic relationship: Its impact on regional transition. In B. Chakma (Ed.), South Asia in Transition (pp. 247–266). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137356642_12 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137356642_12
Bianchi, P. (2008). International handbook on industrial policy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
https://books.google.com/books?id=j1-uAryy-vwC
Bhutia, L. T. (2024). The Dragon and the Tiger: A review of Sino-Indian relations in the twenty-first century world order. In P. P. Basu & T. Arshed (Eds.), 75 Years of India’s Foreign Policy (pp. 111–134). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-6054-1_6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-6054-1_6
Binder, C., & Binder, C. (2016). A capability perspective on indigenous autonomy. Oxford Development Studies, 44(3), 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2016.1167178 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13600818.2016.1167178
Bukhari, S. R. H. (2024). Assessing the strategic imperatives and future trajectory of Pakistan’s defense industry development. Spry Contemporary Educational Practices, 3(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.62681/sprypublishers.scep/3/1/29
https://journals.sprypublishers.com/index.php/CONTEMPORARY-EDUCATIONAL-PRACTIC/article/view/91
Bukhari, S. R. H., Mujaddid, G., & Ullah, R. (2025). The impact of China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea on Japan’s defense policy and regional security dynamics: Implications for stability and multilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(2), 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55737/qjssh.vi-i.25325
Choudhury, T. (2018). Trend and mind-set that India’s central science and technology sector further needs. Journal of Technology Management for Growing Economies, 9, 23–69. https://doi.org/10.15415/jtmge.2018.91002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15415/jtmge.2018.91002
Delgado, F., Garrido, S., & Bezerra, B. S. (2025). Barriers to visibility in supply chains: Challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence driven by Industry 4.0 technologies. Sustainability, 17(7), 2998. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su17072998
Galbraith, C., & Schendel, D. (1983). An empirical analysis of strategy types. Strategic Management Journal, 4(2), 153–173. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250040206 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250040206
Google Search. (n.d.). Reference for “Make in India” reforms and procurement policy changes accelerating indigenous production and private-sector participation. Retrieved November 29, 2025, from
https://www.google.com/search?q=India%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%9CMake+in+India%E2%80%9D+reforms
Hussain, D. E. (2025). Russia–Pakistan relations in the contemporary context: Geo-economic opportunities and strategic constraints. Journal of World Affairs: Voice of the Global South, 1, 165–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/29769442251350920 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/29769442251350920
Kiran, S. (2024). Strategic culture of India and Pakistan and its implications for strategic stability. NUST Journal of International Peace & Stability, 51–63.
Naseer, N., Khan, M. F., & Raza, A. (2023). A comparative view of India and Pakistan’s defence capabilities: Historical evolution and future trends. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, 8(1), 214–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/20578911221124384 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20578911221124384
Shan, S. A. F., Khan, S., Khan, S. N., Khan, S. B., & ul Islam, M. (2025). High-tech and innovative emerging industries and Pakistan’s policies toward adaptation in light of China’s strategies of reverse engineering. Journal of Public Policy, 4, 1.
Singh, M. (1993). New economic policy, poverty and self-reliance. In New Economic Policy: Reforms and Development (p. 16). Mittal Publications.
https://books.google.com/books?id=_P4nqH7ssLkC
Tröster, B., Papatheophilou, S., & Küblböck, K. (n.d.). Strategic autonomy meets global dependency. Retrieved November 30, 2025, from
uz Zaman, S. (2025). India’s limited war-fighting doctrines and the May 2025 provocation: Challenges to deterrence and stability in South Asia. Strategic Thought, 7(1), 55–80.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Syed Rizwan Haider Bukhari
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
