Boost for Make in India: Brazil eyes Akash air defense system, Garuda artillery guns 

Brazil has expressed interest in acquiring India's Akash air defense system and Garuda artillery guns, among other defense platforms, a senior official from the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the South American country for the BRICS Summit next week.

P Kumaran, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said during a press conference: "There is going to be discussions on defense cooperation and enhancing it with Brazil. We're looking at avenues for joint research, technology sharing, and training exchanges. We're still talking about what kind of cooperation is possible, what kind of defense platforms we can sell to Brazil, but there is still not much progress made."

"Broadly we have a few areas that seem to be of interest to the Brazilian side. They are interested in secure communication systems on the battlefield. They are also interested in offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). Brazil has Scorpene submarines—they are interested in partnering with us in maintaining those submarines. They also seem to be interested in the Akash air defense system and in coastal surveillance systems, Garuda artillery guns and so on," he added. 

Brazil is also interested in manufacturing defense industry joint ventures with India. "So there is a lot of potential for us to work with Brazil given their strength in Embraer and in the aircraft industry in general," Kumaran said. 

Developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Akash missile system is a medium-range, mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) designed to intercept a wide array of aerial threats including fighter jets, drones, cruise missiles, and air-to-surface missiles. The system has a range of 25–45 km and is capable of engaging targets at altitudes up to 20 km. Its supersonic speed—Mach 1.8 to 2.5—is maintained through an integrated ramjet-rocket propulsion system.

Akash played a key role during Operation Sindoor, successfully repelling multiple drone and missile attacks from Pakistan. Integrated into India's layered air defense system, it protected strategic assets and demonstrated a high kill probability against simultaneous threats. 

The Garuda artillery system is another indigenous platform gaining attention for its battlefield mobility and precision firepower, particularly suited for coastal and rapid deployment roles. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Brazil from July 5 to 8 to attend the 17th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro and hold bilateral meetings during a state visit. According to the MEA, Modi will also visit Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, and Namibia during his eight-day tour.