The geopolitical plates have shifted violently from under Europe’s feet. Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine has shattered decades of complacency. It has exposed gaping vulnerabilities and has forced a continent-wide scramble for military rearmament on a scale unseen since the darkest days of the Cold War.

Amid this turmoil, a question, laden with strategic significance, arises: Can India, powered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives, genuinely carve out a meaningful role in Europe’s desperate quest for defence capabilities?

The opportunity is present. But seizing it requires navigating a landscape seeped in intense competition, demanding standards, and deep-seated industrial realities.

The change in Europe is profound and driven by existential fear. Defence budgets, long stagnant or declining in many nations, are surging as governments rush to replenish depleted stocks and modernise forces neglected during an era where conventional conflict on European soil seemed a relic. The EU is eyeing massive spending programmes, potentially reaching figures like €800 billion, alongside individual nations significantly boosting their contributions, often aiming well above the long-ignored NATO benchmark of 2% of GDP. A fundamental strategic reawakening is born of necessity.

This frantic push is coupled with a dawning realisation of over-dependence, particularly on the United States. Decades of relying on American military hardware and security guarantees, often highlighted by pointed critiques from figures like Donald Trump concerning defence spending contributions, have left European nations scrambling for alternatives. With figures suggesting nearly two-thirds of recent European defence procurement coming from the US, the drive for ‘strategic autonomy’ is no longer just a buzzword in Brussels; it’s becoming a strategic necessity. The need for diversification cannot be understated. And it is needed urgently.

The raw industrial capacity within Europe has been declining along with the political will for rearmament. Even established defence giants struggle to cope with the sheer scale and speed of demand. French aerospace firms face daunting order backlogs; German manufacturers admit they cannot produce........

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