BrahMos nears Vietnam missile export deal as final approvals are awaited, says CEO

BrahMos Aerospace is nearing the completion of a long-anticipated missile export agreement with Vietnam, with only a few regulatory approvals still pending before the deal can be signed, the company's Chief Executive Officer, Jaiteerth Joshi, said on Thursday ( June 18).

Joshi made the remarks in Nagpur while flagging off the 100th indigenous booster manufactured by Solar Industries India Ltd for the BrahMos missile programme, a milestone that reflects India's growing self-reliance in defence production.

Vietnam deal in final stage

"Export negotiations are in almost final stages with Vietnam, with only minor clearances remaining before finalisation. We are in talks with several other countries in both eastern and western regions. Once the government approval comes, we will come out on the open forum," he told ANI.

Also Read: India expands BrahMos reach: Vietnam deal done, Indonesia pact nearly there

Apart from Vietnam, BrahMos Aerospace is engaged with several countries that have shown interest in acquiring the supersonic cruise missile. However, Joshi said further details would be disclosed only after the necessary government clearances are obtained.

Focus on cost reduction

He also pointed to substantial progress in reducing production costs and increasing indigenous content within the missile system. According to him, a value-engineering programme carried out over the past 18 months has delivered notable savings in raw materials, manufacturing processes and component production.

Also Read: Did India use BrahMos on Pakistan? Here's what we know

"Significant reductions have been achieved through value engineering over the past one and a half years. Raw material costs have been reduced by approximately 24 per cent, while manufacturing and component costs have been reduced by around 10 per cent. Overall, the Indian component cost is expected to decline by nearly 20 per cent over the next one to two years," he said.

Work on new variants

Looking ahead, the company is advancing work on next-generation and extended-range variants of the missile. Research efforts are also focused on lighter missile designs that could improve operational flexibility.

"Future developments include work on BrahMos-NG and extended-range variants, with research also focused on lighter designs using composite materials. Final specifications will be determined after design validation and simulation studies are completed," the BrahMos Aerospace Chief said.

The BrahMos missile is jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and NPO Mashinostroyenia, and remains one of India's flagship defence export products.