New Delhi — On January 26, India celebrated Republic Day by parading troops and locally made weapons in front of New Delhi’s colonial-era sandstone buildings and past 10 Southeast Asian heads of state — all potential buyers. New Delhi hopes to export made-in-India military technology, including its BrahMos missiles, to smaller countries in Asia that fear China’s rise. India will have another chance to show off at the Singapore air show starting on February 6, where BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between India and Russia, will exhibit for the first time. But away from the pageantry of parades and sales pitches, experts suggest India’s $250bn military modernisation programme is sputtering. That’s becoming more important as the US pressures New Delhi to tackle a larger role policing the Indo-Pacific, from the Indian Ocean to the waters off Southeast and East Asia. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held steady against geopolitical rivals, including with China in a Himalayan fac...
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